Emma Connolly talks to some of the West Cork competitors heading to the National Ploughing Championships next week, and finds out that it’s deep-rooted passion handed down from generation to generation

This article was featured in our West Cork Farming 2026 magazine – you can read the full magazine here!

ALL roads lead to Screggan, Co Offaly next week for the 95th All-Ireland Ploughing Championships. 

West Cork has an impressive 23 competitors from across the area’s eight clubs, taking part with many defending their title from last year. 

Among them is Ellen Nyhan (26) Ballinspittle who has strong ploughing credentials – her parents Jimmy, who is also her coach, and Rose are well known in competition circles, along with her brother Noel. 

‘The standard in West Cork is so high, so if you manage to qualify for the All-Ireland you’re already in a good place,’ said Ellen who works in  the pharmaceutical company MSD Brinny. 

Ellen is defending the All-Ireland title she won last year: ‘No pressure there so! And there was just one mark in it too!’

She said that on the day it’s all about ‘holding your nerve’ during the two and a half hour competition  – and listening to her coach, dad Jimmy. 

‘You’re there to do a job and you have to keep calm, and focus on what you’re doing. The ground in Offaly is very different and you have to work with what you have, keep the lines straight and hope you don’t hit any stones,’ she said. 

She’d encourage any young person to consider ploughing as a pastime. 

‘Once you can drive a tractor you’re half way there. There are so many benefits involved such as learning good communication, precision and accuracy. You also need patience, to have a good eye and to be observant, which are all transferrable skills to every-day life.’

Jer Coakley is a national, European and world champion. (Photo: David Patterson)

Jer Coakley, Reenascreena is revered in ploughing circles. 

He’s travelling to Offaly with a European Reversible title won earlier this month in Switzerland under his belt. That’s a fourth for him along with a long list of other accolades won in Ireland, and overseas. 

He’s been ploughing since he was 14 and inherited both his love, and talent for ploughing from his late father, Jerry, another award winning ploughman. 

‘I was born into ploughing and it’s part of life now, part of who I am – it helps that I’m good at it!’

All-Ireland winner Laoise O’Driscoll with her father Liam. (Photo: David Patterson)

The O’Driscolls from Kilbrittain are another legendary West Cork ploughing family: Liam, Caroline and their daughter Laoise (17). 

Laoise (coached by Liam) took an All-Ireland last year while Caroline placed fourth in the under 40 horse ploughing.

Caroline, along with  Claire O'Rourke from Timoleague and Seád Ní Mhaoilmhia, Kinsale, captured the public’s hearts last year when they ploughed with bay cobs Larry and Jeff, having just decided to compete a few months earlier. 

This year Caroline and Claire will compete with Seád in a supporting role: ‘We’ll change the roles every year, but it’s very much a team effort – you need someone to plough, to take the horse and to lean on the front of the plough. It’s really physical.’

The trio love it though, and get to combine their love of horses, adventure and the outdoors while spending time together.

Séad Ní Mhaoilmhia, Kinsale, Caroline O’Driscoll, Kilbrittain and Claire O’Rourke, Timoleague, with horses Larry and Jeff. Séad will work in a supporting role for Caroline and Claire when the compete in Screggan next week.

‘It’s great fun, and we’re all very like-minded. It’s good too to keep the tradition of horse ploughing alive. The amount of stories we hear from people coming up to us how we’re bringing back memories from their childhoods it just brilliant.’

Logistically there’s a bit more involved for them to compete: ‘The horses will go on Monday night in one horsebox and the plough – which is 100 years old and has won an All-Ireland before, and the other equipment will go in a second horse box.’

Director of West Cork Ploughing Kieran Keohane said the area has always enjoyed a rich ploughing tradition. 

‘It’s something that’s been passed down through the generations. People have grown up with and can see how it gives opportunities to travel, and to have friends for life from all over the country.’

This article was featured in our West Cork Farming 2026 magazine – you can read the full magazine here!

 https://www.southernstar.ie/epaper?search=farming