The Church of Ireland will be making its presence felt at Europe’s largest Outdoor Exhibition and Agricultural Trade Show, this September. The National Ploughing Championships will be taking place in Screggan, Tullamore, Co Offaly from Sept 18th to 20nd September.
The Church of Ireland will be hosting an exhibition stand at the event, offering a warm welcome to everyone. As the event takes place within the diocesan boundary of Meath and Kildare the dioceses will organise the Church of Ireland stand. Rector of Tullamore, Revd Isaac Delamere, said: “You can be assured of a warm welcome at the Church of Ireland stand, which provides a valuable space in the midst of the busyness of the event to rest and have a cup of tea and a chat. For those who wish to pray there will be a member of the clergy available or you may place your prayer requests on the prayer tree. It’s also an opportunity to discover more about the Church of Ireland. There will also be a ‘kids corner’, where children can play.”
The statistics for the National Ploughing Championships speak for themselves. In previous years, it has had 1700 exhibitors occupying almost 2 million feet of trade space, and 291,500 visitors. This all represents a very important event, attended by people the length and breadth of the island, and beyond. Last year visitors to the Championships spent just under €36.5 million during the three days of the event.
Bishop Pat Storey (Meath and Kildare) said: “This is a wonderful opportunity to welcome people. The event is a significant part of the fabric of the wider community. As well as hospitality, we can share who we are and what we believe, as the Church of Ireland. We offer a warm welcome to every visitor.” The Church of Ireland tent can be found row 10, number 230.
