Despite the negative publicity about the traffic and weather problems at the National Ploughing Association Championships on the opening day, rural people voted with their feet and thronged to the site here in Mogeely for the second day of the event.
Overnight, the gardaí and the NPA had reviewed and revised the traffic plan which meant only minimal delays getting on to the site yesterday morning as a two- lane system was opened to split the championship traffic from other vehicles.
Both the gardaí and the NPA expressed satisfaction with the new arrangements which brought 68,000 visitors to the site yesterday where the main ploughing event took place.
The grounds were not totally ignored by the politicians yesterday. Minister of State for Finance Tom Parlon used the occasion to defend his decentralisation policy.
Mr Parlon said that Dublin's property boom could be used to benefit rural communities and said the sale of one State-owned property in the heart of Dublin could be used to fund up to 30 decentralised offices.
"Decentralisation has been lampooned in certain sections of the media, but ask any person visiting the ploughing championships here today and they immediately recognise the enormous benefits it will bring to rural communities," he said.
Mr Parlon said the Government planned to sell the former UCD Veterinary College site in Ballsbridge on behalf of the taxpayer and there had been speculation in the media that this could realise anything up to €100 million, given the value of land in that area.
"There has been great coverage in recent days of the sale of a site in Ballsbridge for some €260 million. Irish taxpayers should know that they are significant property owners too and it's not just large private property developers and owners that can and should benefit from the boom," he said.
"Decentralisation is a key part of this Government's regionalisation strategy and our bid to bring greater balanced development to the regions. And if we act wisely, the boom in property prices could be used to help fund the programme and benefit the taxpayer," he said.
The former veterinary college site is close to the Jurys site which was sold last week. The OPW-owned site is 2.1 acres fronting on to both Pembroke and Shelbourne Roads.
Meanwhile, Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, held a series of seminars on the future of farming at the event and these were crowded out by farmers attempting to learn about what they should do in the future.
Teagasc uses its research from working family farms to demonstrate what difficulties and strengths exist in the various farming sectors such as cattle, sheep, tillage and dairying.
Farmers were also given advice on going into biofuel production and there was also information available on planting forestry as an option.
Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, launched its Beef Festival to coincide with the event. The festival will take place in restaurants nationwide and is designed to encourage consumers to choose Féile Bia restaurants when eating out. The Féile Bia quality mark guarantees that the establishment is using Irish farm produce.
The championships continue today.