Eamonn wins third successive world ploughing

THERE were jubilant scenes at Dublin Airport on Monday as the family and friends of Garryhill’s Eamonn Tracey gathered to welcome him and his teammates home from the World Ploughing contest in Estonia.

The local ploughman claimed victory in the conventional class, the third year in a row to have won the accolade and his sixth title win in this class since 2014. He was presented with his award at a gala banquet in Tartu on Saturday evening, marking the end of two days of competitions in the grassland and stubble fields.

The annual event attracted more than 40 of the top competitors from across the globe. Speaking to The Nationalist from the airport, a thrilled Eamonn said: “I’m over the moon. I didn’t start off too well. I had a difficult plot and I fell back a bit, but I made up for it on the second day.” He said the entire Irish contingent had a very successful week, adding that his own achievement of three victories in a row “makes it even more sweet”. Back-to-back wins haven’t been achieved since the 1950s. “It hasn’t been done in over 70 years, so it’s nice to be included in a bit of history alright.” The National Ploughing Association said congratulations have poured in from across the globe for the ‘historic’ Irish team, which was crowned Supreme World Ploughing Champions, in what was described as an ‘outstanding performance’.

General secretary of the World Ploughing Association Anna Marie McHugh told The Nationalist that Eamonn’s win is “breaking all boundaries and making all sorts of history. Three back-to-back wins is unheard of. The standard of ploughing in Ireland is exceptional. We are the team to beat at all competitions and it’s a tribute to the team how we are putting in massive work and making massive sacrifices”. A homecoming party is planned for Eamonn in the coming weeks. The victory comes ahead of the National Ploughing Championships in Laois next month and Anna Marie, who is also assistant managing director of the National Ploughing Association, said the win bodes very well for the local competition.