Kilbeggan hosts county ploughing for this year

This Sunday March 25, the Westmeath Ploughing Championships take place, and unusually, they're not out in some remote location, but right in Kilbeggan, offering a great opportunity for all to see what a ploughing match is like.All eyes will be on Christopher Carton from Garryduff, who last year representing Westmeath, won through to plough at senior level after coming second in the intermediate class at the National Ploughing Championships. In doing so, he didn't just qualify as a senior ploughman himself: his win also brought promotion for Westmeath, which became, for the first time, a senior ploughing county."The competition is on the lands of the late Paul Dunican, by kind permission of Mr Sean Healion," says experienced ploughing competitor, Cllr Paul Daly. For those without the local knowledge, that means the ploughing is happening on a large site on The Relic Road. "We're expecting a good crowd, because it's along a popular walk anyway, known as The Circular, and so it's ideal for people living in town, who fancy dropping in," says Cllr Daly.Kicking off at noon and running until around 5pm, the event will see ploughing in all classes, conventional and vintage, as well as horse and loy ploughing. There will be open and confined classes, and Westmeath people hoping to qualify for the National Ploughing Championships, in the autumn in Wexford, must qualify at the Kilbeggan event.