More than 100,000 people are expected to attend the National Ploughing Championships which open today in Ballacolla, Co Laois, and continue for the next three days.
The event, which is the largest ploughing championships in the world and the largest outdoor gathering of its kind in Ireland, has become a major meeting place for rural people.
The cancellation of the event last year because of the foot-and-mouth crisis has heightened its importance for many rural people, for whom it is the major social outing of the year.
The logistics involved in staging such a large event have been made somewhat easier this year because the championships have taken place there before.
According to the managing director of the National Ploughing Association, Ms Anna May McHugh, the location of the site between the main Cork/Dublin Limerick/Dublin roads makes it an ideal venue.
"There is a very good network of roads around the site and the traffic can be split up to make it easier for the visitor," she said.
The gardaí have advised intending visitors to follow the special signs erected to direct traffic into the designated car-parks.
The championships will be opened at noon today by the Minister for Agriculture, Mr Walsh, the first of many important visitors, including the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
The political parties will use the gathering as a rustic hustings for the Nice Treaty referendum, while the farm organisations will be lobbying the politicians.
With over 640 trade stands there will be plenty for the visitor to see, and those interested in the ploughing have a choice of 21 major competitions.
The championships, which are a showcase for Irish agriculture, also have a strong machinery section and equipment worth millions of euro will be on display.
There is also a large livestock exhibition.
Many third-level institutions will be using the occasion to attract young farming people to their colleges.
There will also be a crafts exhibition, and the most up-to-date technology involved in farming will be on display. RTÉ is mounting a major exhibition to celebrate 40 years of television broadcasting. To mark the anniversary it is bringing a Cinemobile, a 100-seater mobile theatre with special screenings - including Shared Memories-40 years of RTÉ Television; Laois-Offaly: A Place to Live - to Borris-in-Ossory today and Abbeyleix tomorrow.
RTÉ has also provided a marquee on site at the championships. There will be a number of live broadcasts involving Ronan Collins, Marian Finucane, Niall Carroll and John Creedon.