Longford Ploughing President Bernard Jordan is a mine of information

Boasting almost 90 years of tradition the Longford Ploughing Championships and family field day holds a special place in the lives of the county's rural dwellers.

With a continuous documented history of ploughing in Longford since 1933 the local Ploughing Championships is one of the most enduring agricultural gatherings in the country.

Competition ploughing in county Longford extends beyond the the first documented gathering.

On Sunday, March 24 next the organisers, participants and supporters will gather in Bunlahy to add to the heritage of the event.

The location of this year's gathering holds a special significance as the last ploughing matches held in Bunlahy were in 1958 and 1959, 65 years ago.

Part sport, part art, part geometry ploughing is a confluence of contradiction. It engenders rivalries, while forging bonds of friendship.

Terlicken ploughman Bernard Jordan has had a long association with the Longford Ploughing Championship. He is the County Longford Ploughing Association President and he even participated the last time it was staged in Bunlahy.

Also read: Belton family proud to sponsor and host 88th Longford Ploughing Championships in Bunlahy

“Yeah, but I don't remember a lot about it, it was a while ago, ” he laughs when asked of his recollections from six and half decades ago.

Bernard is passionate about his hobby. His involvement came about in 1950. “It started off as a voluntary thing. I won it the first time I entered. That one was organised to raise funds for a family that suffered a misfortune.

“A woman in the parish lost her husband. She had a number of small kids and people came together to help her out as part of the Longford Ploughing,” he recalls.

Though the continuous history of the local competition dates back to 1933, Bernard says there is an even longer tradition.

“The very first Longford ploughing was back in the late 1880s. A great-grandfather of mine was involved.

“My grandfather was only a gosson at the time. A cousin of his and an official from the Longford County Council started off the first county ploughing.”

Caption: Long established members of the County Longford Ploughing Association Bernard Jordan, President and Tommy Monaghan Vice President at the launch of the 2024 Longford Ploughing Championships in Creegan's, Bunlahy Picture: Frank McGrath

The early years of Longford Ploughing was different to what it has evolved into today. “Longford ploughing back in the early years was all horses,” Bernard tells.

Even the way the ploughing field was laid out has changed.

“In the early days there'd be a row of feathers. It was easy to get feathers because there were foul in every yard, so it was easy to pick up feathers. They'd have a row of feathers in a straight line for opening.”

The row of feathers changed to just three markings as competition evolved. Longford set the world standard in the late 1920s.

“In 1929 it was held in the Ballymahon area. The fellow that came first had more than three markings. The fellow that came second had only three markings, so he objected.

“The winner was penalised for using more than three markings, and the fellow that was second was placed first. To this day the three markings are the rule, both at county, national and world level.”

Anyone who attends at a ploughing event will be struck by the contradiction of competition.

Competitors are extraordinarily helpful toward each other, while at the same time eager to win.

“It's very much a sporting thing, it's very competitive. They help each other out, but like to win at the same time. That's the usual carry on.”
The ploughmen always use working tools, there is no competition-only ploughs, but Bernard says modifications are allowed.

“Even since the early days of the horse the ploughs themselves were an ordinary, common plough.

“Whatever they ploughed the ground with at home was what they used. In later years, when they started using the tractor ploughs they couldn't modify the plough, but they tried to do things that would not be noticed.

“They'd done away with those restrictions and let competitors do whatever they wanted to do with the plough. The majority of the ploughs used at ploughing matches today are remodelled, chopped and changed around a bit, to get it to work the way they want it.”

Now in his eighties Bernard is not competing this year “to give some younger lads a chance! I competed up to last year, I'm not going to compete this year.”

With well over a half century of competition behind him Bernard has amassed a good bit of silverware.

“There's a few yokes on top of the thing at home,” he laughs, “Half of them never were collected, because you'd be away from home.

"They would be presented at the end of the day and it'd be getting late and getting dark and you might have headed off home. They might never have been collected. I think the title was more important than the medals.”

Bernard is a mine of information about the pastimes of the local ploughing competition, but tells a calamitous story about the documented accounts.

“An unfortunate part about the local history of ploughing is that there was a whole trunk of papers, everything about the ploughing and when it started, and that got burned in a house fire. But we still have a few that remember back to the old days.”

Caption: Members of the County Longford Ploughing Association committee at the launch of the 2024 Longford Ploughing Championships in Creegan's, Bunlahy. Front row l to r; Bernard Kenny (NPA Director), Barry White (Chairperson), Cynthia Geelan Cruise (Vice Chairperson), Bernard Jordan (President) and Luke Casey (PRO). Back; Tommy Monaghan (Vice President), John Maye (Secretary), Declan McCormack (Safety Officer), Kevin Reilly (Trade Stand Officer) and Mel McKenna (Treasurer) Picture: Frank McGrath

Niall and Paul Belton will host the Longford Ploughing Championship in Bunlahy on Sunday, March 24. The main sponsor is Midland Agri Consultants, Granard.

There'll be music and outdoor dancing lessons as part of the exciting programme of family entertainment and fun activities organised for the annual ploughing festivalt which attracts thousands of returning visitors every year.

For more on the Longford Ploughing Championships 2024, check out the Longford Ploughing Association Facebook page.