The Ploughman (By Joan Gleeson

By Joan Gleeson

The year 1817 marked the beginning of the ploughing matches in Ireland on large Estate lands where the ploughing plots were divided into two classes: one for ploughs owned by the gentry and another for farmers who owned their own plough. Competition times for the half rood plots were two hours for horses and two and a half hours for bulls and oxen. No kidding - we’re talking the early eighteen hundreds! We’ll move on.

The 1930’s depression saw big changes in these competitions. The fledgling National Ploughing Association moved to improve ploughing in all parts of the country. The government encouraged farmers to increase their output during the economic war where the plough was the Rolls Royce of the economy. The message was, “Be free of foreign wheat, grow your own”.

The government gave financial grants to local societies for encouragement. President de Valera and several of his ministers attended a ploughing match in Clondalkin thus copper-fastening the importance of tillage. In 1929, an Irish pound was issued depicting the farmer with his plough and horses.

Some of the prizes at the competitions included cash, gold medals, large certificates and even ploughs which were the most treasured prizes. The first National Ploughing Championship was held in Dublin in 1933 and the competitions grew rapidly over the years. 1939 saw the first international ploughing championship take place in Derry. The beginning of World War II meant that there were no more competitions in the North until after the war, however they continued down South.

Killavil native, Mick Gardiner, travelled the country to ploughing matches in Maugherow, Keash, Lackagh, Annaghmore Estate, Lissadell, Achonry, Ballinasloe, Athenry and more. He went on to win prizes at most of those competitions. At that time, most farmers owned only one horse as a horse ate as much as two cows and they joined up with neighbours for matches. Some of Mick’s ploughing partners were other local men Jimmy Gannon, Harry Marren and Martin Benson.

Ploughing matches were big social occasions with dances held in church or school halls the night before the match. There were sideshows on the day such as tug o’ war, tossing the sheaf, guessing the weight of a pig by just spanning his girth and even horse-shoeing competitions. The Irish Times newspaper carried a report about a national competition in Kerry on the estate of the Earl of Kenmare.

“The day started with a procession of horses and ploughmen through the streets of the town on their way to the field. They were met by the Bishop of Kerry, the most Rev. Dr. O’Brien who gave them his blessing.”

There were inter-county matches including one in Ballinasloe and a notable one in Athenry where Mick Gardiner competed with his ploughing mate in tow. It was an adventurous journey in the 1940’s and the road signs were few and far between resulting in a few detours. One wonders if they dreamed of something like our modern satnav. Gardiner represented Sligo by winning the competition in his class which led to him qualifying for the National Ploughing Championship in Balbriggan, North Dublin.

On the 25th of February 1946, the pair of boys headed off into the unknown on the train to Dublin where they were put up in the then Four Courts Hotel and had an intriguing encounter there with a lift. The wrought iron gates appeared as a cage as they closed shut before elevating them skywards to the third floor. They thought they were going to be burned alive and that they’d never see Killavil again. They survived!

The following day they were bussed to Balbriggan where a plough and horses were provided for the competition. It was soon discovered that the Dublin horses didn’t understand the Sligo accent and commands which did nothing to enhance their chances of winning a prize. However, all was not lost as Mick Gardiner was commended for his skillful handling of the plough. They dined out for months on hair-raising stories and exciting experiences of that Dublin visit.

As with all competitions, it was not all fun and games. Ploughing had to be done at home for the compulsory tillage before and during the war. Competitors had to bring their own horses and ploughs to each competition barring the long-distance

ones. There were numerous makes and types of ploughs: Pierce, Howard, Sellar, Ransome chilled ploughs and swing ploughs. Ploughs needed maintenance and on one occasion when preparing for a match, the wooden swings needed replacement. Resourceful as always, Mick Gardiner cut down one of the many ash trees on the farm to make his own swings.

The Sligo Independent had carried a report on the first ploughing match in Achonry. The competition went ahead despite the field having been covered with snow on a cold February 26th, 1914. Refreshments were served at the end of the competition while the judging began and marks for performance and accuracy were calculated. To settle the nerves of the waiting crowd, entertainment was organised during this time and even included bare-back children’s donkey races.

Standing in the snow-covered headlands, perished and impatient, ploughmen and spectators waited and waited and waited for the results. Finally, the judge was ready to give the results.

Class 1 for farmers with swing ploughs - First prize: Stellar plough to Mick Gardiner, Killavil. Second prize: Two pounds cash to James Trumble, Keash. Third prize: One-pound cash to Thomas Crean, Carrickbanagher. The prizes for all the other classes followed.

On moonlight frosty nights, many a household waited at the farm gate to hear the weary clip-clop of the homeward bound horse’s hooves on the sandy road. The welcome news of prizes and stories accompanied by mugs of tea, treacle bread or boxty went on into the night.

To this day, ploughing competitions are still very popular and indeed, big business. However, the introduction of the tractor in the 1940’s heralded the demise of the horse and plough at competitions and on farms as well. Keeping up the hundred-year tradition, today’s ploughing matches still include competitions for the noble horse and plough.

The Irish poet Joseph Campbell paints a beautiful picture and sums it all up for us:

I will go with my father a ploughing To the green fields by the sea And the rooks and the crows and the seagulls Come flocking after me.

I will sing to the patient horses With the lark in the white of the air, And my father will sing the plough song That blesses the cleaving share.

In his day, Michael Gardiner was known as ‘the ploughman’. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.

L to R: Paddy Wims, Chris Smith, Paddy Egan, Alfie Banks and Billy Healy. Photograph taken outside Chris Smiths draper shop (now Perry’s). Submitted by Paddy Egan. L to R: Frank Flannery, Fonso Sheridan and Mick Hever

Submitted by Francis Flannery