Latest news with #AnnaMayMcHugh
Agriland
31-07-2025
- General
- Agriland
Child safety wristband to be in place at Ploughing 2025
The National Ploughing Association (NPA) and FBD 'Keeping you Safe' child safety wristband project is set to return at this year's National Ploughing Championships. The championships are set to take place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly between September 16 - 18. Over 40,000 of the safety wristbands will be handed out at the event entrances, with space for a contact phone number offering peace of mind, should a child become separated from their group. NPA's Anna May McHugh, Maureen O'Meara, and FBD's Tomás O'Midheach with Fergus, Liam and Sean Conroy launching the children's wristbands on the site of the 2025 National Ploughing Championships. (Source: NPA) The managing director of the NPA, Anna May McHugh said: "We are very pleased to continue our partnership with FBD on this vital child safety initiative. "The wristbands have become a simple but highly effective tool in keeping families safe and together during the event." "With the enormous crowds we welcome each year, they offer invaluable peace of mind to parents and guardians," McHugh added. According to the NPA, the National Ploughing Championships is a celebration of community and family, with countless attractions to delight children and adults alike. It said that safety is a key part of making sure everyone enjoys their day to the fullest. All children under 12 are free of charge once accompanied by a paying adult. Separately, during this farm safety week (July 21 - 25) Teagasc is continuing to place a strong focus on safe farmyard design, with a number of free on farm events taking place across the country. Safe farmyards are developed by careful thought and detailed design, and must be functional for livestock and crop enterprises, but they must also facilitate safe efficient movement of people, livestock, and farm machinery. Teagasc indicated that clear separation of people, livestock and machinery must be in place throughout the farmyard to safely manage farm tasks. Pedestrian routes must avoid contact with livestock and machinery. Teagasc's farm buildings and infrastructure specialist, Tom Fallon said: 'Teagasc advisors across the country are highly trained to help farmers maximise the efficiency and safety of their farmyards. 'Teagasc advisors seek to help each individual farmer with decisions around development of their farmyard in the short and longer term to improve work routines, labour efficiency and safety,' Fallon added.
Agriland
31-07-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Certa renews fuel sponsorship for Ploughing Championships
The National Ploughing Association (NPA) has confirmed that Certa are again the official fuel sponsor for this year's National Ploughing Championships. Certa will supply all of the event fuel requirements for the three-day event which takes place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly from September 16-18. This will include fuelling all the generators for powering the site and the lighting towers from the main site. Speaking ahead of this year's National Ploughing Championship, Anna May McHugh NPA aanaging director expressed her enthusiasm for the continued partnership. 'We're delighted to welcome Certa back as our official fuel partner for Ploughing 2025. "It's fantastic to have their support again, particularly with the use of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a sustainable diesel that aligns with our commitment to greener practices," she said. Certa added that it is delighted to be the official fuel supplier for one of Europe's largest outdoor agricultural events. 'With its blend of tradition, skill, innovation and community, the National Ploughing Championship is a celebration of Ireland's rural heart. "As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainability, we're helping to reduce its carbon footprint through the use of HVO. This renewable fuel helps to cut carbon emissions by up to 90%," Orla Stevens, Certa managing director, said. Throughout the event, Certa will also be showcasing a range of energy solutions for customers, including solar, HVO, lubricants, and other liquid fuels.
Agriland
07-06-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Irish Angus €15,000 bull calf championships head to Moate
The Irish Angus All-Ireland Bull Calf Championships are set to take place at a new venue this year. With a prize fund of €15,000, this year's competition will take place at Moate Show in Co. Westmeath on Sunday, August 24. The annual event previously took place at Iverk Show in Co. Kilkenny. While this event has changed location, Agriland understands there will still be a broad range of Angus classes at Iverk Show this year with significant prize money up for grabs. Irish Aberdeen Angus finals for Ploughing 2025 Separately, the 2025 Irish Aberdeen-Angus Association (IAAA) All Ireland Finals are set to take place on the opening day of the 2025 National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly. The announcement was made at the AGM of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) on Thursday, May 1, by the NPA managing director Anna May McHugh. She said: 'The NPA is absolutely thrilled to have such a prestigious livestock event coming to the Ploughing this year with upwards of 100 animals expected in this competition alone.' Univet is again onboard as title sponsor and the All-Ireland Champion will secure the prestigious All-Ireland Championship trophy – an eye-catching piece of silverware dating back to 1902. The competition is open to all pedigree-registered Aberdeen Angus animals in the Republic of Ireland and the numerous classes, including Junior, Intermediate and Senior Championships, aim to bring together the best of IAAA cattle from the best herds in the country. While the All-Ireland Finals take place on the opening day of the Ploughing, there is a full programme of events planned for 'Ploughing Week' in the Aberdeen Angus Tent including: National Youth Development Final, where young livestock handlers from a number of age categories will be doing everything from showing, presenting, stock judging, and interviews on Wednesday; A National Judging Conference, which will incorporate showing, etiquette, and basic-principle talks and classification demonstration addressing the basics of animal physiology, as well as senior judges giving countering arguments on ways they place line-ups of cattle also on Wednesday; Demonstrations showing qualities of Aberdeen Angus and Classification Demos on Thursday. Ploughing 2025 will take place from September 16-18 at Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly.
Agriland
20-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
National brown bread baking competition returns
The National Brown Bread Baking Competition 2025 has been officially launched today (Tuesday, May 20) at the Home of Innovation in Dublin. The event, sponsored by retailer Euronics, is organised by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Countrywomen's Association (ICA) and attracts entries from bakers across the country. The final of this year's competition will take place at the National Ploughing Championships, Screggan, Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Eight finalists will take to the stage to bake their brown breads for the judges in the semi-finals on September 16 and 17, with the winner crowned on during the final on September 18. The overall winner will take home a cash prize of €5,000, along with a NEFF Slide & Hide oven worth over €2,000. The three finalists on September 18 will be presented with a €500 Euronics gift card and all other finalists will be given a €250 Euronics gift card and a Neff hamper. Brown bread Five bakers will be invited to join the three finalists from the ICA who will be chosen at the national event in ICA headquarters on July 21. All successful entrants will be contacted on August 11 and invited to attend The National Ploughing Championships Brown Bread Baking Tent. All entrants (one entry per person) are being asked to drop their freshly baked bread to one of the stores below (all part of the Euronics group) on the prescribed dates between 9:00a.m and 11:00a.m. Bakers are asked to note that bread will not be accepted in the stores outside of these times. The following is a list of the brown bread drop off locations, dates and time: Friday, July 18 J O'Mahonys Prosperous, Downings North, Prosperous, Co. Kildare; Grange Baldoyle, Unit 48G, Baldoyle Ind Est, Baldoyle, Co. Dublin; Mastercare in Killester, 164 Howth Road, Clontarf West, Killester; Heavins, A1&A2 Shannon Retail Park, Dublin Road, Athlone, Co. Westmeath Friday, July 25 Bandon Co-Op, Kilbrogan , Bandon, Co Cork; Jack Fitzgerald, Howleys Quay, Prior's Land, Limerick; Joyce's Hardware & Home Galway Road, Cuilleen, Headford, Co. Galway. Friday, August 1 Redmond Electric, Unit 6 WFC Retail Park, The Avenue, Gorey, Co. Wexford; Keans Claremorris, Mount Street, Clare, Claremorris, Co. Mayo; Brodericks Westport, 5 Castlebar Road, Westport, Co. Mayo; Harrys Electric Unit 2 Moynehall Retail Park, Ballinagh Road, Cavan. Daragh Lynch, Euronics Ireland chief executive, said the company was delighted to return for a second year to sponsor the competition. 'Ovens of all shapes and sizes bake brown bread every day across Ireland and we look forward to tasting all the entries. 'Last year we were blown away by how many brown bread bakers entered their breads – dropping them at various Euronics stores,' he said. NPA managing director Anna May McHugh said: 'We are delighted to welcome back Euronics to the National Ploughing Championships. 'The first national brown bread baking competition took place at the Ploughing in 1954 and it is wonderful to see that the competition is still as popular now as it was then.' Mary D'Arcy, ICA national president added: 'Our members always enjoy taking part in the National Brown Bread Baking competition to find the best brown bread in Ireland and I am sure this year will be no different.'
Irish Independent
02-05-2025
- General
- Irish Independent
Laois train station wins ‘Age Friendly' status award
The station has undergone much development to create 'age friendly' car parking spaces, wheelchair accessible spaces and accompanying signage available on platform seating and waiting areas, along with accessible toilets. Iarnród Éireann has launched an 'Age Friendly Stations Initiative' today, which intends for all of the 146 stations nationwide to attain age friendly status. Ballybrophy Train Station now joins Kilkenny's MacDonagh Train Station and a growing number of public services and buildings across the country that have gone through the process. Phase one of Iarnród Éireann's Age Friendly Station Initiative will see a group of ten carefully selected stations from across the rail network go through the audit and recognition process. Chief executive of Iarnród Éireann, Jim Meade said: 'Our vision for rail in Ireland is to be the backbone of an integrated, sustainable, and accessible public transport network, connecting and serving all of Ireland's communities. 'We're investing in infrastructure upgrades across the network to enhance accessibility and facilitate safe, independent access for more of our customers, while also providing our staff with accessibility and disability awareness training. Initiatives like these are helping us to provide a better, more inclusive service to customers.' The award given by Age Friendly Ireland offers significant recognition following an extensive process aligned with the principles of the World Health Organisation's (WHO) Global Network of Age Friendly Cities and Communities. Age Friendly Laois ambassador and managing director of the National Ploughing Association, Anna May McHugh said: 'With a high number of older people living in rural communities such as Ballybrophy, it is important that they have equal access to public transport, and that the work is done to ensure they can have a high quality of life. 'I want to empower older people in rural communities to avail of these services, and continue to live a long and social life. I look forward to taking more trips via Ballybrophy, knowing it now carries the Age Friendly mark.' The Ballybrophy Train Station accreditation represents a broader national movement towards inclusive design and services, guided by Age Friendly Ireland, which is a shared service of local government hosted by Meath County Council. Age Friendly Ireland directs, supports and provides technical guidance to the 31 local authority-led, multi-disciplinary age friendly programmes which includes 31 older peoples councils.
