THE NATIONAL Ploughing Championships in Athy, which begin tomorrow, are expected to break all records despite the weakness of the economy.
Up to 200,000 patrons are expected at the site at Cardenton on the outskirts of Athy, which was also the venue for the event last year.
Because of the high demand for exhibition space, work on laying out the tented town with trackways, water and power, started a fortnight early this year.
The event, which is the largest rural gathering of people in Ireland or Europe and the largest ploughing championships in the world, requires 700 acres of land.
Eighty acres of this are set aside for the 1,100 trade exhibitions, 400 acres for the free car parking and 200 acres for the ploughing competitions.
Access to the trade stands is facilitated by 15 kilometres of steel trackway which has been laid down in case the weather disimproves.
The event will be formally opened tomorrow at noon by President Mary McAleese, who will be the first of many VIPs to visit the championships.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen is to be on site on Thursday, while Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith and his Northern Ireland counterpart Michele Gildernew will be there on Wednesday.
All the political parties have taken stands at the event which runs from tomorrow and ends on Thursday evening.
World boxing champion Katie Taylor will attend on Wednesday and the Tipperary and the Kilkenny hurlers are also due to visit over the week.
The Munster rugby team will be there tomorrow and the team’s legendary forward Paul O’Connell will be there for the three days.
As well as the core ploughing and machinery demonstrations, for the first time this year there will be lamb-shearing exhibitions, while St Michael’s Boxing Club, Athy, has organised an array of live boxing exhibitions.
Four teams will compete against one another to see how fast they can rebuild a stripped down vintage tractor.
Apart from the many national ploughing competitions, the National Ploughing Association will host the European Reversible Ploughing Contest for the first time.
This competition has 26 competitors from 13 countries including England, Scotland, Wales, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.
An extensive traffic plan, including colour-coded car parks, has been put in place by the Garda to manage the traffic for the three days of the championships.
Ploughing championships: how to get there
Traffic from Kildare, Wicklow, north Wexford and north Carlow:will travel on the M9 to the Kilcullen exit, take the R418 (old N78) towards Athy. At the Russellstown crossroads turn right and proceed through Geraldine cross, Clogorrow cross, turn right at Sailsbury, go through Bert cross to parking at Cuan Mhuire, in purple carparks.
Dublin, Kildare and northern counties:traffic goes via Dublin on the N7/M7 as far as exit 14. Proceed to Monasterevin, left at Texaco and proceed on R417 (Athy Road) through Kildangan and Kilberry and on to Bert for orange carpark.
Tullamore and western counties:travellers take the N80 to Mountmellick. Proceed to Emo on the R422 and on to Vicarstown via L3930. Proceed to Bawn hill and Moatstown to the green carparks.
Limerick and southwestern counties:follow the N7 to Mountrath and onto the M7. Leave the motorway at exit 16. Proceed on the R425 turning on to the N80 for Stradbally. On the outskirts of Stradbally take R427 for Vicarstown. At Garrans cross, go right on L7939 to Mill Land on to R428 main Athy Road to Castlemitchell cross, turn left to Churchtown and use the brown carparks.
Cork and southern counties:take the M8, taking Johnstown/ Durrow exit (exit four) through Abbeyleix turning right for Ballyroan R425 for Stradbally. Proceed to Munney cross, turning right to Timahoe (R426). In Timahoe left (L3838) to Stradbally. In Stradbally turn right at Court Square on to N80 for Carlow. At Hacketts cross, left to Ballintubbert (L3953). Proceed to Brockagh, left to Castlemitchell. At Castlemitchell go right to the blue carparks.
Kilkenny and southern counties:go to Castlecomer on the N78 to Crettyard and direct to Athy via Newtown cross, Simmons Mill cross and Ballylinan. Before Athy take the left turn to Goulyduff and Kilcross cross to the yellow carparks.
Carlow and southeastern counties:exit off the M9 at the Castledermot exit and head to Carlow town. At the Deerpark Road roundabout continue straight to the Dr Cullan Road roundabout, take the second exit and travel on N80 Portlaoise Road. Take the third exit at Ballickmoyler roundabout. Proceed in the direction of Portlaoise through Ballickmoyler and Arles. Merge with yellow route at Simmons cross and use the grey carparks.
Parking restrictions will be in place on all approaches. Bus Éireann will provide bus transfers between Cuan Mhuire, Athy and the park and ride site in the orange car parks. Iarnród Éireann is laying on special trains to Athy, Kildare and Portarlington and there will be bus transfers from these stations