One of the chief organisers of the National Ploughing Championships, Anna Marie McHugh has said that they’ll made a decision on whether to cancel the event by the end of May or early June.

Speaking to RTÉ, McHugh said that the landmark calendar event for farmers had dealt with situations such as the Food and Mouth outbreak before, but that the COVID-19 pandemic posed a new risk to the Irish public.

Restrictions

She pointed out that currently restrictions on group gatherings of over 5,000 people were due to relax just 14 days before the Ploughing.

She said for people, “it would be their first outing and that brings higher risk again” and what has happening now was far greater than the Ploughing.

“If there is any risk to the Irish public, the Ploughing won’t be happening,” McHugh said.

However, she did acknowledge that the actual ploughing competition could go ahead without the main event.

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