DEAR SIR:

I wish to complain in respect of the standard of catering at the recent Ploughing Championships. After an absence of several years and having been persuaded by my daughter to accompany her to Tullamore, I was looking forward to a warm breakfast in one of the long tents or marquees that used be situated close to the entrance.

However, there was no such facility and we were directed by an official to the other end of the grounds, where we would find take-away food. After walking a long distance, we came upon a soggy open space with chairs and tables dripping wet and stalls nearby selling snacks, etc.

It made for a miserable start to the day.

Later on in the afternoon, we did find a small tent with refreshments but I found the place offputting as the table covers would need to be replaced.

My daughter reminded me that we were not at the Galway Races, that it was probably always like this but I hadn’t noticed before.

No doubt the TV will show the crowds descending on Screggan again but I do hope the organisers of this great event will pay more attention to ensuring that those who travel a long way will have reasonable access to shelter and warm food.