The National Ploughing Championships get underway today for the first time in three years after the annual event was cancelled due to Covid.
As many as 300 thousand visitors are expected to attend the three day event at Ratheniska, Co Laois,
Gardai are urging motorists traveling to Ratheniska to avoid using satellite navigation and to view the traffic plan on the garda or the National Ploughing Association website's for the correct route to take, depending where their journey starts.
Ireland will be hosting the 67th World Ploughing Contest this year.
The world event was due to be held in St Petersburg, Russia, in August
The last time the World Ploughing Competition was held was in 2006.
26 countries will take part, with two competitors from each country in the Championship. The competitors are from as far away as New Zealand, Canada and Australia.
The competition will be spread over two days starting on Wednesday.
Meanwhile it's estimated that 70,000 cups of tea will be drunk at this week's National Ploughing Championships.
A quarter pounder will also be eaten every second over the three-days.
The Irish Daily Star also reports 300 bales of straw, 100 bales of hay, and seven tonnes of food will be eaten by livestock.
The event returns for the first time since 2019 with 300-thousand expected to visit.
