'It put a dampener on the day' - Underage drinking called into question at Ploughing Championships

The issue of drinking, particularly underage drinking, has been a hot topic of discussion on RTÉ's Liveline on Thursday following calls from someone who attended the National Ploughing Championship in Screggan, county Offaly, this past week.

Caller Ramona told host Colm Ó'Mangáin, that she was saddened by the sight of kids around the age of 15 or 16 who were "jostling" around this year's even with plastic glasses of beer in their hands.

READ NEXT: And that's a wrap! 20 photos from the final day of the National Ploughing Championships

"The rowdiness, really the underage drinking I had a problem with," said Ramona.

Ramona was at the Ploughing on Tuesday with her brother in law her young nephews and niece, enjoying the festivities when she noticed a gang of youths who appeared to be getting quite rowdy.

"We were walking around, having a good time, it was muddy but fine...and at around 3pm, the crowd was getting rowdy...a lot of young people had plastic glasses of beer in their hands...it was sad, some of them did look very underage, around 15/16 maybe 17, but they looked young."

Ramona said her and her family members decided to leave at around 3pm.

"Those young people also started leaving around 3pm, and they were out in the car park, not really walking but jostling, and we were trying to walk with the kids and they bumped into us," she said.

Ramona told Colm that she turned to them to tell them to stop and to "cop on". As they walked on, the gang appeared behind them again.

"The same gang appeared behind us again 10 minutes later and shoved right into us. They were jumping up and down so I turned to them and said that it was really not acceptable. It kind of put a dampener on the end of the day...not what you want to be around with younger kids and I felt, why is there beer there at all?"

Ramona said her brother in law had noticed empty alcohol bottle earlier in the day, and when she spoke about the instance with coworkers and others who had attended the Ploughing they had told her that other groups from different schools had cancelled their trips to the event because of underage drinking.

Ramona went on to say that she contact the National Ploughing Association about the issue, and that they replied to say that it had been noted and they would review the matter. 

"I don't feel as this is a new problem from talking to other people," added Ramona, "last year it was the same. I don't feel they're policing it enough, and if they're encouraging families to go, it's not really what I signed up for."

READ NEXT: New changes for Dublin Airport passengers to be set in place on hand luggage restrictions

Assistant Managing Director of the National Ploughing Championships, Anna Marie McHugh, then joined Colm on the phone and commended Ramona for her call.

"First of all, I want to credit Ramona for her call," said Ms McHugh, "The ploughing is not a festival, but the reason there is drinking is because it is part of the Irish culture for ever, back in the day of the ploughing, it was a pint and a shake of hands, that's where the deal was done, and is still being done by a degree."

She went on to say, "We do not in anyway tolerate underage drinking whatsoever and we have very strict rules in place, but I will say there was an explanation for yesterday and there has been for a number of years

"We did have an issue pre-Covid, but since then there are huge measures in place for example the buses are monitored coming in, and the guards confiscated huge amounts of alcohol from the kids buses coming into the event."

Colm asked her how this was done; did the Gardaí board the buses and search through bags?

"Oh yes, absolutely," Ms McHugh replied, "We've had people turned back on trains as well for taking drink.

"We do have very strict regulations - bars onsite are to have a minimum of 8 licensed security on their stand, as well as that we have cameras in the areas where the bars are, but yesterday was a problem, and I wouldn't deny that for a moment.

"People were ID'd and they were the right ID's, but the wrong people with them. Also, there was situations where people were buying drinks for other people and I will say, it is very hard to monitor that."

"Is there an argument for only drinking within the vicinity of the stand?", Colm asked.

READ NEXT: Irish man (26) accused of sending naked pictures of ex partner to her mother

"Yea absolutely," Ms McHugh replied, "We had emergency meetings yesterday with all the bars, and another one this morning, and I can guarantee you there will be numerous more meetings.

"There is a potential the event will be in Offaly again next year, will there be the options of the bars being again? That's a big conversation to be had.

"We are totally with Ramona, and don't want underage drinkers at the event or anyone drunk at it full stop. That's not what we're about."

Quoting from the Leinster Express, Colm put it to Ms McHugh that Judge Andrew Cody had said that more assaults and trouble come from the ploughing than Electric Picnic and that Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby agreed, a claim Ms McHugh vehemently denied.

"I would ask the Chief superintendent of the Midlands region to answer that question because that is not correct...any Gardaí in Laois and Offaly would confer with me, Garda Kirby is not correct...we're not nearly in the vicinity of that."

"This was raised in a court before, that there may be additional measure needed", Colm responded.

"There were," Ms McHugh replied, "More security on the bars, and the number of issues seen in the last 3 years have been miniscule, but we did have additional measure this year."

"Do you think the Ploughing will ever go dry?," asked Colm.

"To be honest, if this came to a point, that we had significant issues with it, absolutely," responded Ms McHugh, "It's not a necessity at all at the event, it's really a good will thing.

"We don't particularly promote to young people," Ms McHugh added, "but there's a huge mix of age groups, and it is extremely social, the ploughing, that's the nature of the event, but I will certainly look into creating an area that could be cordoned off for just drinking."

Back in July of this year, Judge Andrew Cody warned that if this year's Ploughing Championships in Offaly resulted in trouble similar to that seen previously in Laois he will not grant a bar licence again.

Speaking at Tullamore District Court, Judge Cody repeated comments he first made last year about assaults associated with the Ploughing whilst questioning why four bars were needed at the event.

READ NEXT: RECALL: 'Unsafe'- Allergen found in popular food item recalled from stores across country

“When the National Ploughing Championships was held in Portlaoise (Ratheniska) there were more assaults and more trouble from the National Ploughing Championships than there was from Electric Picnic,” said Judge Cody.

“There were assaults where people were nearly killed,” he said. “Serious incidents involving people being very drunk, young fellows.”

Judge Cody said he would grant the licence “on this occasion” but said he was not impressed that the National Ploughing Championships “couldn't be bothered” to come to court and said they wanted everything to suit themselves.

“They want a bar set up for three days but they're just too busy to bother complying with the proofs that are normally required in this court.”

He warned that this will be the last year he would grant applications “when the proofs are not properly put before the court”.