A Ploughing People

Journey into the heartland of rural Ireland, in words and images, from the 1930s to today. Meet the characters behind the Ploughing Championships, past and present. Witness the traditions and stories from a changing way of life, where community spirit remains central, and the plough keeps turning the sod, year on year . . . Since the early 1930s, The National Ploughing Championships has occupied a special place in the heart of rural Irish life, when people gather from every corner of the country to show off their skills and engage in sport, fun and business. Here, for the first time, the magic of the Ploughing is captured in word and image. We follow Valerie Cox as she journeys around Ireland to meet the people who make this national institution great, and record the stories of what the ploughing means to them, whether it's vintage tractors, a pair of Clydesdales or a plough handed down from a grandfather. Among others, we meet three-time world champion Martin Keogh, take an unforgettable trip to Thady Kelleher country in East Cork, and are enchanted by the first even Queen of the Plough Anna Mai Donegan, who won her crown in 1955. This beautiful book also provides a record of a landscape that may bear little resemblance to that of the 1930s but, in important ways - of family, community and the nod and wink of the business deal - is little changed. A gift, a keepsake, A Ploughing People is a unique celebration of the best of Irish life.