With 112,500 people attending the first day of the Ploughing on Tuesday, all different characters are present; young, old, shy, enthusiastic, you find them all.

Sergeant Ollie Walsh

Stationed in: Mullingar

“We are busy. Plenty of people knocking around and looking for directions. Generally people are in good form. They are good, decent people and it is a good day in general. I was here at last year’s as well. It is well run and well put together.”

Shane Byrne, former Irish Rugby International

“I am having a ball. The rain is away today (Tuesday), so it is absolutely fantastic. I came here ready for it.

“I come to the Ploughing as much as I can. With kids coming to school and things like that, it make it a little bit harder. My uncle is a farmer and I grew up in Aughrim, Co Wicklow, so I am well familiar with farming. I am married to farming stock as well. My wife Caroline is from Ballybay in Co Monaghan.”

William McGrath, Bernie Murtagh and Liam Murtagh McGrath

“The little nipper is eight months old. He won’t be running away from me this year but next year might be a different story. It is his first Ploughing. He wasn’t here last year! It is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. This will be the first of many for him.”

St Joseph’s College, Lucan, students

Laurie Omoruyi, Bilgisa Bah, Leticia Tchatat, Beverly Locya, Chichi Ubaekwe, Percie Okoio, Zainab Ojubanire

“This is our first time at the Ploughing Championships. We came with our school on a school trip. We don’t really know much about farming. We know ye all grow crops and stuff. We have learned a lot from the Ploughing Championships though. We have learned a lot about cattle and sheep at the cattle conversations.”

Basil Shanley, Boornacoola, Co Leitrim

“I am from poor and proud Boornacoola. It took me about an hour and a half to come down. We have had good weather today (Tuesday). I have been coming the last 20 years. Machinery mostly would draw me into it. Usually I’ll leave here at four o’clock. Get out before the rush. We will have steak and spuds on the way home in Feericks in Rathowen.”

Ethna, Derek, Sean (seven) and David Cunnigham (12), Kildare

“We are from Kildare. It took us about an hour to come down. It is a great day. The weather here is fabulous and we are having a great time looking at all the machinery.

“We don’t live too far away, so every year we come down and spend the day looking around – keeping up with all the new trends.”

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Full coverage: Ploughing 2017