By Darragh Nolan

Copyright independent

Conditions were muckier through wear and tear, and much of the crowd moved gingerly through the site, making sure to avoid the risk of taking a tumble.

However, come rain or shine, whether T-shirts or ponchos were the outfit of choice, many made the same pilgrimage yesterday as they had done on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The tractor ploughing was not just another part of the main site in Tulla-more, a few minutes’ walk away in nearby fields.

A route referred to by many throughout the week as “the shortcut” to the tractors was anything but – more of an unwieldy alternative where parents helped children navigate the muddy ground.

They wanted to leave at six o’clock in the morning, and we live only five minutes away

Among those in competition was Brian Mahon, who came just a short distance to Screggan from his native village of Blue Ball with his wife Mich-elle and their children Emer, Chloe, Holly, Adam and Robynn.

“He’s been at it years – he started when he was 20 or 21,” Ms Mahon said. “He’s 45 now.”

Although the family are well used to taking to the fields every September, it was a first Ploughing for one-year-old Robynn, who was just a few weeks old last year when the event was held in Ratheniska, Co Laois.

She watched her father ploughing from her mum’s arms as her older siblings looked on from a row of little stools on the grass.

“The kids love it, that’s why we’re here for the three days,” Ms Mahon said. “They wanted to leave at six o’clock in the morning, and we live only five minutes away. We were there trying to get ready and we don’t have to panic.

“We normally stay out here at the ploughing until Brian is finished, which is half-two or three. It’s lovely out here, and you get chatting to people – you see a lot of the same people every year.”

An Garda Síochána’s tent was a hub of activity for a third day running, with the motorbike, patrol car and tractor on display of particular interest to younger passersby and older ones embracing their inner child.

The crowds outside the tent were even bigger yesterday, thanks to the presence of the sports stars in the ranks, among them Tipperary’s All-Ireland hurling championship-winning captain Ronan Maher and All-Ireland football finalist Shaun Patton of Donegal.

The group, which also included Irish rugby international Fiona Reidy, two-time All-Ireland winning ladies’ footballer Megan Thynne and Kildare senior footballer Aaron Masterson, spoke to aud-iences about being an elite sportsperson and having a career in the guards.

Maher said he did not always have an ambition to join the force and first took the road more travelled by to third-level education.

“I finished school, I did my Leaving Cert and I actually went to Mary I for four years,” Maher said. “I planned on doing teaching. It just shows how things can change so quickly.

“I have many relations, many cousins. My brother is in An Garda Síochána and I knew just from chatting to them. “I knew when I finished in Mary I that teaching wasn’t the route I wanted to go down.”

As a member of the garda community policing unit in Portlaoise, he said he was getting opportunities to provide support in schools, GAA clubs and other youth groups.

When I was thinking about An Garda Síochána, the progression in the job started to appeal to me

“It’s a good opportunity to get involved in the community, working with young people. It’s something different every day, and you don’t know what challenges you’re going to face throughout the day,” he said.

Similar to Maher, Thynne spoke about her start in early childhood learning before making the move to An Garda Síochána.

She is new to the job, having just completed her training at Templemore in the last month.

“An Garda Síochána wasn’t always in my thoughts as a kid,” she said. “When I left school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I ended up going into early childhood care and was a pre-school teacher.

“I really enjoyed the job, I loved it, but when I was thinking about An Garda Síochána, the progression and opportunity in the job started to appeal to me.”

She said the garda college offered fin-ancial support while she was in training, and the relatively short period of time she had to spend in training was a plus.

“I’d have to go back to college for two years if I wanted to progress as a prim-ary school teacher, so it just really appealed,” she added. “There’s loads of things I can go into that I don’t even know yet, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.”