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The National Ploughing Championships ((アイルランド語:Comórtas Náisiúnta Treabhdóireachta)) (previously known as The National Ploughing Championships Machinery & Livestock Exhibition〔〔) is an agricultural show in Ireland.〔 The event is one of the largest outdoor events in the world with over 1500 exhibitors and attendances of over 200,000.〔 It takes place each year in September. ==History== The first inter-county ploughing contest contest was between County Wexford and County Kildare on 16 February 1931 in a 26-acre field at Coursetown in Athy. Since then, the National Ploughing Championships has expanded to over 800 acres with 1,400 exhibitors. It has extended beyond ploughing, farming or machinery enthusiasts, now featuring attractions such as a tented trade village, live entertainment, music & dancing, fashion shows, craft village, live cooking demonstrations, celebrity appearances, sheep dog trials, pony games & welly throwing. The event attracted a record 279,500 visitors in 2014.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=National Ploughing Championships - home page )〕 The Mission Statement for the Association in 1931 stated simply: “To bring the message of good ploughing to all parts of the country and to provide a pleasant and friendly place to meet and do business”. The story of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) that unfolded is a true mirror〔 of the Story of Rural Ireland’s development, growing from humble beginnings between the World Wars 1 and 2 until taking the prominent place they both hold on the world stage today. Following in the footsteps of the GAA and going on to become another Irish Community phenomenon, the National Ploughing Association (NPA) as it’s now known was born of the humble seeds sown in that 1931 challenge between its co-founders Kildareman JJ Bergin and Wexfordman Denis Allen. It continued to grow through the endeavours, foresight and the development work of its three extraordinary Managing Directors and their director teams throughout its 84 year lifetime to become the powerful International showcase of Irish Farming it has become today. Inspirational founder, JJ Bergin, was NPA’s first Managing Director and he laid the foundations for what was to follow. He was a man of acknowledged tremendous foresight, and in 1952 he ensured that the Republic of Ireland would be part of the inception of the World Ploughing Organisation, attending its first meetings and being appointed as Vice President. The first World Contest was hosted by Canada in 1953, and the second here in Kerry in 1954, Killarney being the first European venue for the ‘Worlds’, when 10 countries competed. JJ Bergin inaugurated a “Farmerette” class for girls, single, married or widowed without reference to age, the winner to be known as the “Queen of the Plough”. In 1955 the National Ploughing Championships went onto to become a 2 day event. The Association became a limited liability company and was incorporated on 2 March 1956, with number of directors limited to forty, with period of office of one year, a Liability limited by guarantee and without shares. JJ continued to manage NPA until his passing in 1958. In 1958 the NPA appointed Kilkenny GAA 1933 All Ireland medal winner and Senior Hurling star Sean O’Farrell as Managing Director to harness its already evident future potential, and to be laid on those foundations. A national bread baking competition was introduced by NPA in co-operation with ESB in 1958 that continues to this day. A special moment followed for him when he got to ‘bring home’ the NPA Championships to Burnchurch, Co Kilkenny in 1959, while returning to Danesfort, Co Kilkenny in 1964 and again in 1970. One of the highlights of his tenure was when representing Ireland at 9th World Ploughing Contest, Grignon, Paris, France 1961 his role required him to address a dinner where their special guest of honour was the then French President Charles de Gaulle. John was a big man over 6 ft. but he proudly displayed that photo on his wall, dwarfed as he was by the 6’ 5” tall President De Gaulle. He then attended the 8th World Ploughing Contest in Tor Mancina, Roma, Italy 1960 where he proudly presented Ireland’s contribution to Rome’s ‘Cairn of Peace’ in 1960 with a distinctive block of his native Kilkenny Marble. He continued to build on NPA’s international potential and in 1964 the NPA sent two competitors to the World Ploughing Championships where the Republic of Ireland won their first World Title. The late Charlie Keegan, from County Wicklow was that winner and it marked a huge Irish International achievement for NPA at that time. He was an inspiration to future competitors, demonstrating that we Irish had the standard and the potential to compete with the best in the World. Arriving home from the World Contest in Vienna, the Wicklowman was proudly brought home to Wicklow on an open top bus to be met by bonfires along the roadside as they greeted NPA’s first World Ploughing Champion. That was a special day for Sean, as Wicklow was his adopted county. At the National Championships 1964, a new Youth class was introduced for Youths 21- 28. In 1965 Esso became an NPA sponsors and introduced the Esso Supreme Trophy which is still presented to the Senior Conventional Champion annually. In 1966 a new competition was introduced to cater for Students from the Agricultural Colleges. In 1969 the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) were invited to give demonstrations in cookery, crafts. This also combined with introduction of the Country Markets as the ploughing was an ideal venue to sell produce. Sean held that position until his sudden death in 1972. The second half of that entire NPA Story, all of 42 years, was led by NPA Secretary of the time, Anna May McHugh, as their Managing Director. She has also since served for 61 years as Secretary of the organisation, bringing to glorious fruition what could only have been an idea of NPA founders back in 1931, a dream in 1958, an aspiration in 1972 and since guiding it to make NPAs collective vision become a reality by 2015. In 1973 the 20th World Ploughing Championship was held in Wexford that followed was a 4 day event with an attendance of over 100,000 people, when 25 countries took part and the event was another great success. Anna May steered the NPA with her extensive and county representative board of director team until it became one of the largest outdoor annual events in Europe. She is also the Irish Board Member to the Board of the World Ploughing Organization, where her daughter Anna Marie McHugh is now General Secretary. Locally, the number of national exhibitors in 1975 was 100, when number of counties competing was 21 and number of demonstrators only 18. In 1978 the Championships returned to County Kilkenny this time to the village where Anna May McHugh's predecessor was born, Knocktopher. Attendance figures grew very steadily throughout the 70s & 80s until 1988, when the event was expanded to 3 days in order to cater for heavy traffic congestion. The ICA and Country Markets then started giving cookery and craft demonstrations. New Events were added - Fashion Show in 1981, Livestock Section in 1987, Nissan Classic 1989, Introduction of Shopping & Business Arcades 1985 & Kverneland World Class Challenge. The “Tented Village” era was developed very significantly at the Ploughing throughout the 90’s and early 2000’s. By 2011 the NPA had 14 Arcades facilitating 240 exhibitors. Enterprise Ireland brought delegations from a number of countries to review the event and exhibitors have travelled from Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Poland and the USA. Now in its 84th year NPA records that Events Costs in the region of 3.5 Million Euro, have Ploughing Associations in every county in the country, hold the biggest National Ploughing Championships in the World, over 320 competitors participate in the National Finals, cater for 19 All-Ireland Ploughing Title Classes, are Ireland’s primary Agricultural Exhibition, and hold one of the largest Agricultural Events in Europe. Many international visitors, exhibitors and delegations from right around Europe and come from as far afield as New Zealand now participate. Events have up to 1,100 Trade Stands which exhibit billions of Euros worth of the most modern agri-equipment in the World on exhibition at the Championships. NPA are still a voluntary association depending on voluntary efforts of our members from all around the country. With an average of 180,000 spectators, the NPA attendance has grown from the 3,000 that attended in 1932 to the 280,000 heights it reached in 2014 and 281,000 in 2015. Together they are a shop window to what Irish people can achieve, working together, and a great credit to spirit of Rural Ireland ever since its foundations. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「National Ploughing Championships」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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