The world's biggest national ploughing championships will begin on Tuesday in Co Carlow.
Up to 150,000 people are expected to visit the three day festival in Tullow, which will feature everything from Parthenaise cattle exhibitions to health lectures by veteran sports broadcaster Jimmy McGee.
Organisers have laid around five kilometres of steel trackway to provide routes through the 500 acre site.
Electricians have laid 20 kilometres of electric cable to provide power, while wells have been sunk to provide a 75,000 gallon water supply to the 700 trade stands.
The rapid change in the farming sector is apparent from some of the stands at the show. The Western Development Commission is preparing a presentation on wind energy while Horse Racing Ireland has lined up television presenter Hector O'hEoghain to promote horse breeding on the farm.
The National Ploughing Championships, said by organisers to be the world's biggest, began in 1931 after a disagreement between Kildare man J.J. Bergin and his friend Denis Allen, from Wexford, over which county had the best ploughmen.
There are still classes for the traditional horse and plough but most attention now focuses on the modern tractors and ploughs.
Most serious competitors have customised 'sport ploughs' which are too complex to use for farm ploughing.
National Ploughing Association spokeswoman Ms Anna Marie McHugh said: "They have to constantly change the settings for consistent ploughing. Some of them would tell you their ploughs are invaluable, they couldn't put a price on it."
The 21 ploughing categories includes one specifically for women, which has attracted 19 entrants this year. Women are free to enter all other ploughing competitions as long as they do not get assistance in changing the plough settings.
PA