THE West Cork Ploughing Association was well represented at last week’s All Ireland Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore with members coming first on four occasions. They also came second five times as well as securing a third and four fourths.
Caroline Jennings said there is a strong tradition of ploughing in West Cork and this competitive activity attracts both young and old competitors, culminating in members attending last week All Ireland Ploughing Championships.
On day one, Tuesday September 15, James O’Sullivan from Bandon finished second with 236 marks and the top two contestants in this class were chosen to compete in the senior conventional class the following day.
ADVERTISEMENT
Samhrán O’Farrell from the Kilmeen Club finished fourth in the U-21 conventional with 218 points, while Flor Wycherley from the Clonakilty Club finished second in the U-28 reversibel class, scoring 218 points.
There was success too for Laoise O’Driscoll from the Kilbrittain Club who finished first in the U-23 reversible class with 227 marks. Alanah O’Donovan from the Kilmeen Club finished fourth in the novice reversible, scoring 202 points.
The novice conventional saw Leonard Deane from the Bandon Club finish first with 108 points, while John Wolfe (Clonakilty Club) finished third in the vintage two-furrow trailer with 182 marks.
On the second day of the Ploughing, Both Jer Coakley and Michael Wycherley from the Clonakilty Club and Liam O’Driscoll from the Kilbrittain Club competed in the senior reversible class, with both Jer and Liam named in the top ten to plough in the test match the following day.
Kieran Coakley from the Clonakilty Club, John Murphy from the Timoleague Club and James O’Sullivan (who qualified the day before) competed in the senior conventional class.
Ellen Nyhan retained her title as “Queen of The Plough” in the farmerette class, scoring 236 points, while Gordon Jennings form the Clonakilty Club finished second in the single furrow vintage class.
On the final day of this year’s Ploughing, Ger Lawlor from the Kilmeen Club won first place in the three-furrow reversible class with 80 marks. The Test Match proved to be a difficult challenge for both the senior reversible and senior conventional, with Jer Coakley (reversible) finishing second with 499 marks and Liam O’Driscoll finished fourth with 474 marks, while Jer’s brother Kieran finished fourth with 484 marks in the conventional class.
