Moynalty launches details of 34th threshing festival

Up to 20,000 people are expected to attend the 34th annual Steam Threshing Festival which will take place in Moynalty on Sunday 9th August next. The chairman of Meath Tourism, Cllr John V Farrelly, officially launched the festival at the Steam Threshing Museum last week. A large crowd turned up for the launch at which JJ Tevlin of Dulane donated two vintage tractors and a grinding mill, which has been restored by his late father, Johnnie, to the festival. Joe Leahy was present with the Meath Tourism hot-air balloon, which attracted a lot of attention from the crowds who had gathered for the launch. Preparations are now in full swing for the festival and several fields of oats are ripening fast in preparation for the threshing. On Steam Threshing morning vintage cars, veteran tractors, steam engines, horse drawn machinery, stationery engines, trade stands and the crowds start arriving and members of the community will be working hard to ensure the smooth running of the event and anyone that is willing to work will get a job! The festival is a celebration of all the traditional methods of farming. The central drama of the afternoon will have several steam engines and mills in action reviving memories of olden times with their sounds and smells. Oats will be threshed using steam, flail, horse and tractor. Every aspect of farm life will be represented - butter churning, a museum, cooking on open fires, boxty, brown bread and more.