Youngster who got his facts wrong among the few who had negative comments for Taoiseach
WHAT A difference a year makes. This time last year, the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen had to seek sanctuary in the Irish Farmers’ Association stand at the National Ploughing Championships when heckled by anti-Lisbon supporters.
Someone said that was akin to George Bush seeking sanctuary in a mosque given the state of farming then but this year no place of refuge was needed by Mr Cowen when he paid his visit.
Instead, he was given a warm, cordial reception by members of the public with calls of encouragement and even hand-clapping as he conducted a leisurely tour of the stands where thousands of people had gathered for this farming festival.
Yes, there were a few negative calls but they were hardly of note, coming from schoolboys who wanted him to “come for a drink”. Another youngster – getting his facts all wrong – called out: “Why were you drunk on television?”
Mr Cowen arrived late on the site just like everyone else because the traffic was very bad with car parks cut up by two days of use which caused tailbacks into and around the site.
The Taoiseach went to the ploughing competition sites which are far distant from the throngs around the trade stands but the speculation from the visiting media he was hiding out there, proved incorrect. The Taoiseach literally waded into the throng, posed for photographs, shook hands with one and all and was in a very relaxed mood as he moved from stand to stand meeting and greeting.
Dressed smartly and neatly groomed, the Taoiseach visited all the farming organisation stands, and departmental stands before ending his tour in the Fianna Fáil tent to rally the troops.
He ate lunch with the National Ploughing Association and then presented a Galway Crystal decanter and set of glasses to Ray Ryan, the Irish Examineragriculture correspondent, on behalf of the NPA, to mark the journalist's retirement.
While Mr Cowen had spent nearly two hours happily in the mud, he had to wait until he got to the press tent before mud began to be thrown at him with questions about a story which had appeared in the Irish Sunthat morning. It was only then the Taoiseach showed signs of irritation and told reporters he would not comment on allegations made against him.
“I have done all my public duties to the very best of my ability at all times and I’m simply not going to get into that game,” he snapped.
Out on the site, the 79th ploughing championships were winding down and Anna May McHugh, the managing director of the NPA announced the championships would be held here again next year on the same site which is the place the first ever championships were held.
That was a small affair compared to the championships of this week which attracted 182,000 visitors to the 600-acre site with the 1,100 trade stands which for this week in September becomes a ploughing and political cockpit for the three days.
It is also a major marketing event with companies bringing in sporting and other celebrities for the event. Yesterday, it was the turn of Republic of Ireland soccer international Kevin Doyle. The Wexford-born player, who was with the Irish Dairy Board, said he had a special affection for the Ploughing Championships because that was where he met his wife 10 years ago when they were school children.