Irish Rail to provide shuttle bus service to Ploughing at Tullamore and Portarlington stations

With next week's National Ploughing Championships expected to draw crowds of over 250,000 to Screggan, outside Tullamore, Irish Rail has encouraged people to book their train journeys in advance.

It said shuttle buses will be operation to and from Tullamore and Portarlington Train Stations, taking rail passengers directly to the event grounds in Screggan.

The Ploughing Championships - Europe's largest outdoor event - take place from Tuesday to Thursday next, September 16 to 18.

"We recommend booking your rail tickets in advance and making use of the dedicated shuttle bus connections," said Irish Rail.

It added that the shuttle buses would be frequent and timed to match train arrivals and departures

"With 700 acres of exhibitions, demonstrations, and competitions to explore, and millions expected to flow into the local economy, this year's National Ploughing Championships promises to be one of the best yet," it added.