Extensive traffic plan for ploughing championships

Large crowds are expected when President Mary McAleese opens the 76th National Ploughing Championships in Offaly at noon today.

More than 150,000 people are expected to attend the three-day event, which is being held on a 500-acre site at Annaharvey Farm, near Tullamore.

It is the key annual event for the farming community, but it has also become hugely popular with the general public and has grown to become one of the largest agricultural shows in Europe.

While Wellington boots are always a necessity at the event, Met Éireann is forecasting good dry spells and some sunshine in the midlands today, while tomorrow will be quite cold but will stay mainly dry and bright. Thursday is also expected to be dry, sunny but cold.

Gardaí have put extensive traffic arrangements in place for the championships and have advised motorists not attending the event to plan alternative routes around the Tullamore area in the coming days.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is expected to visit the championships on Thursday while Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny will visit the site this afternoon.

Trevor Sargent, Minister of State for Food and Horticulture, will visit the event today and again on Thursday. The Labour Party's deputy leader Liz McManus will attend the show today.

Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Éamon Ó Cuív will open the craft and food villages this morning.

In the coming days, about 300 ploughmen and women will compete for 18 titles. Away from the ploughing, visitors will be able to choose from livestock exhibits, machinery demonstrations, a forestry village, a motor show, a bioenergy village, an education and business centre and daily entertainment events.

The Road Safety Authority will be among the 850 exhibitors spread over 60 acres of exhibition space at the event.

It will be offering free high-visibility vests to visitors to promote safety on the roads, free vision screening and child car seat demonstrations.

The Health and Safety Authority will use the event to promote child safety and safety for elderly farmers.

Last year, eight people aged over 70 died in farm-related accidents, while hundreds more suffered injuries.

About 500 staff, mostly volunteers, will run this year's ploughing championships. They include 200 stewards and 110 judges and supervisors.

In previous years, catering facilities used to consist of a scattering of chip vans, but this year will see 22 catering units offering choices such as organic and Asian foods, speciality coffee bars, four alcohol bars and 10 ice-cream sellers.