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Omagh Farming Society Ploughing Match, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland February 1871

Extracted from the Tyrone Constitution February 17, 1871
Transcribed, compiled and submitted by Len Swindley, Melbourne, Australia
len_swindley[at]hotmail.com
 

OMAGH FARMING SOCIETY PLOUGHING MATCH

The Annual Ploughing Match in connection with the Omagh Union Farming Society, came off on Thursday, 9th inst, in a field of MR. DAVID WILSON’S of Crevenagh.

The day was beautifully for the season. A great many of the gentry of the neighbourhood, as well as merchants and others from the town, visited the field during the day, and all seemed highly pleased with the manner in which the work was executed; but the great attraction of the field was a double-furrow plough, belonging to MR. JOHN SMITH, Cavanakirk, Clogher. The plough was drawn by three first-class horses, with silver-mounted harness, altogether a magnificent turn out. The implement is a first-rate one, made by A. JACK & SONS, Maybole, Ayrshire. It turned up the ground to the admiration of every one, and though not entered in the list for competition, it was acknowledged by all to have made by far the best ploughing in the field – some good judges going so far as to say that it was the best ploughing they had ever seen. The plough was held by Mr. Smith’s son, JOHN A. SMITH, - under twenty years of age. Mr. Smith deserves great credit for having introduced these double-furrow ploughs into the neighbourhood, as they are calculated to effect a great saving in both manual labour and horsepower.

The ploughs started at 11 o’clock, and the appointed task was got through by 3 p.m., each plough having gone upwards of 30 perches.

The following is THE AWARD OF THE JUDGES

1st Prize – MR. JAMES ROULSTON, Dervaghroy; plough held by his son, JAMES

2nd Prize – MR. JAMES MOORE, Drumragh; plough held by servant, PATRICK GORMLEY

3rd Prize – MR. MONTGOMERY ARMSTRONG; plough held by his servant, JOHN McWILLIAMS

4th Prize – MR. HUGH JOHNSTON; plough held by servant

5th Prize – MR. THOMAS OSBOROUGH; plough held by himself

6th Prize – MR. JOHN BRATTON; plough held by his servant, JOHN QUIN

In the gentlemen’s class, first prize was obtained by JOSEPH GREER, JUN., ESQ.

The judges were – MR. MUNGO SLOAN, MR. CHARLES POLLOCK, and MR. JAMES JOHNSTON

The members and friends of the society dined together in the evening at the White Hart Hotel.