Bookings for trade stands for the National Ploughing Championships in September, which usually go live around St Patrick’s Day, have been pushed back by a week to 10 days, assistant managing director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) Anna Marie McHugh has said.

“For the national event, bookings for trade stands usually go live now, but we’re giving it a week to 10 days.

"What we have said is that should the situation not level out [by September], any monies paid to the NPA would be fully refunded.

“Everything could be different. This is similar to foot-and-mouth, it was now it happened and it was still so volatile in September,” she told the Irish Farmers Journal.

Directive

Last week, the NPA sent a directive to its members with precautions to take for ploughing events.

“A lot of matches were due to be held last Sunday week. The guidelines went out, but we sent a text then on Friday morning saying that all matches, club and county, were to be postponed indefinitely until further notice.

“You could go to a ploughing match and not come into contact, but, at the same time, there was that risk of social interaction, so we said it was better to avoid it altogether.

“The main group of matches that were left were the bigger ones, in Mayo, Roscommon, Galway, Longford…there would be a few thousand at those.

“There’s about seven or eight counties still to have matches. Tipperary and Wexford still have one match left,” she said.

World championships

McHugh is also general secretary of the World Ploughing Organisation and said there is a lot of concern around the running of this year’s world championships in Russia, which are due to take place on 8 and 9 August.

“Flights are booked. We’re worried about it going ahead and people are looking for direction. I’d be looking at going to Russia and having to self-isolate afterwards.

“If there’s any risk or things are similar to what they are now, the event will naturally be postponed. The Olympics will be a big marker,” she said.

Passion play

The Ballylinan Passion play scheduled to be staged Easter Week has also been cancelled. It was cancelled last Tuesday night in the interest of cast and public health and safety, McHugh said.

This event is staged every five years and will now be rescheduled for Easter 2021.