The National Ploughing Championships are set to be moved back by one week in 2027 to prevent a clash with the Ryder Cup.

Although this year's championships is yet to take place, the National Ploughing Association (NPA) has been planning ahead for 2027 for quite some time, due to the Ryder Cup.

The three-day event, one of the biggest outdoor events in Europe, traditionally takes place around the third week in September.

However, it was recently confirmed that Adare Manor in Co. Limerick will host the famous golf tournament between Europe and the US from September 13-19, 2027.

This will mark the 100th staging of the Ryder Cup which is expected to attract crowds of over 250,000 across the week.

It will be the second time the Ryder Cup has been held in Ireland, following The K Club in 2006.

Ryder Cup

Anna Marie McHugh, assistant managing director of the National Ploughing Association (NPA) told Agriland that the association has held a number of meetings with representatives of the Ryder Cup over the past two years.

"NPA have moved our dates by one week following the announcement of the dates of Ryder Cup – we are holding the 2027 National Ploughing Championships on 21, 22 and 23 [of September]," she said.

No venue has been confirmed as yet for the National Ploughing Championships in 2027, with McHugh adding that the NPA is "working through final aspects of venue".

"Unfortunately, there is very little movement potential for the Ploughing due to the timing of harvest, we cannot bring the Ploughing forward.

"Due to higher risk of season storms and the necessity of farmers to prepare grounds for winter crops, we cannot put the event back more than a week.

"There will not be a clash, however there will be a big demand on services as Ploughing will start just 24 hours after the Ryder Cup," she said.

She noted that the NPA have had discussions with the gardaí, Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and many of their event suppliers already.

"As there is not a clash of dates, everyone believes that it will be a very busy few days, but it’s a once-off and planning is key in order to ensure the smooth transition from Ryder Cup to Ploughing," McHugh added.

Ploughing

Meanwhile, this year's National Ploughing Championships will once again take place in Screggan, Tullamore, from September 15 to 17, 2026, marking its second consecutive year at the venue.

In 2025, the three-day event in Co. Offaly drew a total crowd of 225,500 people.