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September 08, 2010

Explore Athy at the Ploughing Championships

ShopAthy to showcase Athy at this year’s Ploughing Championships

Explore Athy Get your wellies out, it’s nearly ploughing time again!  This year Athy will be represented at the event with its own unusual and unique showcase stand.  The National Ploughing Association through Anna May McHugh has made a huge site available to ShopAthy to help promote the town and environs. 

The stand will incorporate a very high quality garden designed by an award winning Landscape Architect and Athy man Anthony Ryan of Hayes Ryan Landscape Architecture.  Anthony together with his partner Geraldine last year presented a garden at Bloom, which won the coveted “People’s Choice Award” by over 4,000 votes. 

“The ‘Explore Athy’ garden will be a visually striking one” say Anthony, “The intention is to create focal point of interest at the Ploughing Championships. It will both provide a visually pleasing ‘sanctuary’ in such a hive of activity. The garden includes a strong design framework in which natural materials, coupled with striking modern ones will arouse curiosity and draw attention in the festival atmosphere of the Ploughing Championships”.

The garden will also feature a very unusual Nordic-styled marquee housing that will contain an exhibition of the best Athy has to offer visitors.  Vivian Cummins, local Registered Architect explains “These Nordic tipis also known as Katas housing the Athy exhibition were selected as a brand new alternative to the standard white marquees usually seen at such events. They are constructed using wooden poles and innovative, light coloured canvas. The stunningly beautiful Tipis are atmospheric and above all different. They will help to create a unique event which will help to showcase Athy and its attractions leave a lasting impression on the visitors to the display”.

The majority of visitors to the ploughing event do not come into the host town during the event so as a response to this, ShopAthy thought “Why not bring the mountain to Muhammed!”  The purpose of the project is to showcase Athy to the 200,000 visitors expected to attend the event this year.  The exhibition presents the many Arts, Culture, Heritage, Tourism, Recreation and Amenity facilities that Athy offers as well as the commercial and retail opportunities.  Shine’s Discovery Day will also run in Athy on the Sunday following the Ploughing Championships and will give visitors a fantastic and exciting opportunity to experience the town at its very best.

The project which will be called “Explore Athy” will feature the many festivals run each year, including the International Bluegrass Festival, the increasingly successful Shackleton Autumn School and ShopAthy’s own “ChocolAthy” Christmas chocolate festival.

The project is being part funded by the County Kildare Leader Partnership.  The event will take place at the National and European Ploughing Championships at Cardenton, Athy from the 21st to 23rd September 2010. 

For any more information please contact
Jo Coyle,
PRO, ShopAthy

E:  info@shopathy.com