Wexford and Donegal ploughmen take top honours at 2026 senior test matches

The 2026 National Ploughing Championships culminated on a high yesterday (Thursday, September 17) for Wexford and Donegal.

At the end of two days’ very challenging competition, ploughmen from both counties took top honours at the event.

Wexford’s John Whelan, won the Senior Reversible Test Match at Screggan, amassing a score of 509 points over two days of competition.

The Wednesday saw him ploughing pout of stubble, with the final day of the event seeing the focus switch to ley ground.

Meanwhile in the Conventional Test Match, Donegal’s Matthew Simms carried the day with a combined score over two days of 520 points.

The judges whose job it was to make the final adjudication made it perfectly clear that the performances delivered by both men over the two days of the 2026 Senior Test Matches was of the highest order.

The results set the two competitors up to represent Ireland in the 2027 Senior World Ploughing Championships, taking place in Kenya.

The runner-up in the Reversible Test Match was Jer Coakley from Cork East, while taking similar honours in the conventional class was Mark Kehoe from Wexford.

Ground conditions

There was universal agreement that the ploughing conditions at Screggan over the 2026 National Championships were fair to all competitors.

Ground conditions remained dry, despite heavy rain on the evening before the event got underway.

Large crowds attended all the ploughing classes held over the three days, and Screggan proved once again that it is a very suitable location for a competition of such significance and prestige.

Competitive ploughing

All of this is a further reflection of just how popular competitive ploughing has become across the island of Ireland.

Moreover, Ireland’s representative in Kenya next year will travel of real hope of doing extremely well in the world event.

In the meantime, 2027 National Ploughing Championships will be moving to a new venue, close to Rathangan in Co. Kildare .

And a new site means a host of different challenges that plough men and women from across Ireland will be facing into, something we can all look forward to

Results Day 3: 2026 National Ploughing Championships

3 Furrow Conventional Junior Plough Class

1st: Liam Hamilton; Wicklow

2nd: John Healy; Kerry

3 Furrow Conventional Senior Plough Class

1st: Billy Donnelly; Wexford

2nd: Colm Dineen; Kerry

Junior A Conventional Plough Class

1st: David Borland; Meath

2nd: Tom Duffy; Tipperary North

Junior B Conventional Plough Class

1st: Jason Dunne; Kildare

2nd: Joseph Twomey; Cork East

Kverneland Reversible Test Match

1st: John Whelan, Wexford

2nd: Jer Coakley; Cork East

Macra 2 Furrow Conventional Plough Class

1st: Patrick Murphy; Wexford

2nd: Padraig Kelly; Monaghan

Senior Conventional Test Match

1st: Matthew Simms; Donegal

2nd: Martin Kehoe; Wexford

Special Horse Plough Class

1st: Jeremiah Delaney; Cork East

2nd: Eamon McDonagh; Mayo

Standard 3 & 4 Furrow Reversible Plough Class

1st: Gérard Lawlor; Cork West

2nd: Michael Byrne; Wexford

Vintage Classic Plough Class

1st: Damien Ahern; Cork East

2nd: James Stafford; Wexford

Related Stories

Horse ploughing takes centre stage on Day 2 at Screggan

Ploughing conditions excellent on Day 1 of National Championships

Location for 2027 National Ploughing Championships revealed

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