Record crowd jams roads for first day of farming fiesta

The fine weather drew record-breaking crowds of up to 70,000 visitors to the opening day of the National Ploughing Championships, resulting in lengthy delays on a small number of routes.

Dust squalls, rather than the usual mudbath, greeted spectators to the 700-acre site in Cuffesgrange, Co Kilkenny, yesterday where the contests for 19 national ploughing titles and several political encounters got under way.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen said he was confident there was a "good future" for the farming sector in Ireland, with the "real litmus test" being the numbers of educated young people reversing the downward trend and now entering agricultural training.

Mr Cowen acknowledged the "downward pressure" on prices paid to farmers and the upward surge of costs in both European and world agriculture.