# National Ploughing Championships in Ireland **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 29, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895 "2013-09-29T02:53:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/1 "2013-09-29T02:53:31Z")
It’s September, and you all know what that means. It’s time for Ireland’s National Ploughing Championships! Details can be found on the [National Ploughing Association website](http://www.npa.ie/). In their honor (honour?), I’ve kept their funny little spelling of “plowing.” They’ve actually just ended though, so you’ll have to make your plans for next year. Be there or be square! But BBC TV did a spot from there this month, and in all seriousness – really – it does look like a cool event. I want to go! They showed the champion sheep shearer in work, [this guy](http://www.sheepshearingireland.com/), and I kid you not (lame pun intended), he holds the world record at doing 744 lambs in eight hours, breaking the old record by two. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/2 "2013-09-29T19:57:06Z")
And what proud national events can Thailand boast of? Huh? Tell me that! Any more mocking and I swear I’ll go over there, probably driving _this_: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/sDtXAhKjgjU/hqdefault.jpg "Crazy burnout tractor!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/3 "2013-09-29T20:06:06Z")
It’s just like a big vintage fair. It’s a big deal down in the bog. ---
**Author:** ![Glazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e57/32.png) [@Glazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glazer)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/4 "2013-09-29T20:16:00Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > And what proud national events can Thailand boast of? Huh? Tell me that! > > Any more mocking and I swear I’ll go over there, probably driving _this_: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU) > > 😃 Show up at your local rice rocket club’s drifting event in that thing. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/5 "2013-09-29T20:47:38Z")
> [@Glazer](#): > > Show up at your local rice rocket club’s drifting event in that thing. Can you imagine? And can you imagine getting chased by the cops in it? The poor officer would be too embarrassed to report it in! “Uh, control, I’m following a vehicle doing 90 mph in a 60 zone” “Roger, state reg make and model” “Its an…uhm…_cough_ tractor _cough_” “Repeat your last?” “Its a goddamn tractor!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/6 "2013-09-29T22:16:48Z")
Do they name their craft like horses? How many permutations of “the Starry Plough” can they work in there? Ireland holds the sheep shearing title, huh? I’ll bet Wales and NZ would be really good if they could get out from behind the sheep. Still not as weird as Finland’s [wife carrying contests](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wife_carrying). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/7 "2013-09-30T02:42:17Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > And what proud national events can Thailand boast of? Huh? Tell me that! > > Any more mocking and I swear I’ll go over there, probably driving _this_: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU) > > 😃 I’m not mocking! I really do think this is neat. What I saw on BBC looked pretty darned cool. But in Thailand, we have the annual [King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament](http://www.anantaraelephantpolo.com/). It was just recently held on the Upper Peninsula. I myself have actually played in it in the past. ---
**Author:** ![Lochdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/edb3f5/32.png) [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/8 "2013-09-30T02:50:24Z")
Mayo still lost to Dublin. No amount of threshing boys or ploughmen can change that 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/9 "2013-09-30T03:30:30Z")
Nothing wrong with a good ploughing competition although I haven’t been to one for a few years. Love the smell of freshly turned sod in the morning… As for that Irish shearer, that’s a damned impressive record. Shearing sheep is one of the toughest and most physical jobs in the world. Two comments though: he had to come to New Zealand to set the record so really…its a Kiwi record anyway 😃 …and he was shearing lambs, not ewes. Teenagers compared to adults. But eight hours of hard hard work. Respect. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/10 "2013-09-30T08:15:23Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > I’m not mocking! I really do think this is neat. What I saw on BBC looked pretty darned cool. I was only kidding, I grew up on a farm but take as little to do with farming as possible. Whereas you couldn’t beat my brother away from it with a big stick, different folks and have different interests I guess. Just feel the need to leap to Irelands defence… 😉 > [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > But in Thailand, we have the annual [King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament](http://www.anantaraelephantpolo.com/). It was just recently held on the Upper Peninsula. I myself have actually played in it in the past. Damn they really do everything bigger and better in Thailand… btw if Thailand is the land of the Thai’s does that make Ireland the land of the Ire’s, that might explain why we’re so angry all the time… edited: just remembered aforementioned brother went to Thailand on his honeymoon, he thought it was fantastic but was a little creeped out in some areas because of the old European men walking around with the _very_ young local women. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/11 "2013-09-30T08:26:22Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > he holds the world record at doing 744 lambs in eight hours, breaking the old record by two. Does Hal know this? ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/12 "2013-09-30T08:42:16Z")
Open the sheep-pen door Hal…Hal? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/13 "2013-09-30T16:14:16Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > btw if Thailand is the land of the Thai’s does that make Ireland the land of the Ire’s, that might explain why we’re so angry all the time… > > edited: just remembered aforementioned brother went to Thailand on his honeymoon, he thought it was fantastic but was a little creeped out in some areas because of the old European men walking around with the _very_ young local women. That’s why it’s really Thighland. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/14 "2013-09-30T21:18:33Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That’s why it’s really Thighland. 😉 Heh, thats me educated. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/15 "2013-10-01T00:55:50Z")
> [@Disposable Hero](#): > > Any more mocking and I swear I’ll go over there, probably driving _this_: > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDtXAhKjgjU) > > 😃 Spidey-man, spidey-man. Does whatever a track-suit can… =d&r= ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/16 "2013-10-01T00:57:32Z")
> [@Ken001](#): > > Open the sheep-pen door Hal…Hal? Hey, sooner or later Hal will get tired of all the 2001 references 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/17 "2013-10-01T01:01:44Z")
What I want to know is if Mister Plough showed up for the event. (that name again, is Mister Plough) ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-ploughing-championships-in-ireland/669895/18 "2013-10-01T06:31:46Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Spidey-man, spidey-man. > Does whatever a track-suit can… > > =d&r= The word you’re looking for is _Culchie_, a spide is a townie, and they wouldn’t know what to do with a tractor. Hey, how many people can genuinely say they’ve gone cruising in a genuine Lamborghini _(tractor)_?