An organiser said the problem is worse than it has been in around 15 years.

UNDERAGE DRINKING WAS worse at this year’s National Ploughing Championships than it has been in around 15 years, according to the event organisers.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Liveline, Annmarie McHugh, Assistant Managing Director for the National Ploughing Association said Gardaí “confiscated huge quantities” of alcohol from teenagers at the event.

“Yesterday there was a problem, I wouldn’t deny that for a moment,” she said, explaining that adults were buying teenagers alcohol and other teens were using legitimate ID’s that weren’t their own.

The final day of the Championships went ahead in Screggan, Co Offaly, today. The three-day event is estimated to have attracted 300,000 people.

But some attendees said the issue of underaging drinking drove them home early. 

Speaking on RTÉ’s Liveline, Ramona said that her and her young nephews and niece left the event after being “jostled and shoved” by groups of young teenagers who had been drinking alcohol.

“Some of them did look very underage to me, they looked, 15, 16 maybe 17, they looked young,” she said.

The event is often included as part of the transition year curriculum, so many students aged between 15-17 attend.

“This isn’t a new problem for the Ploughing Championship and they’re not really policing it. It’s not really what I signed up for, to be surrounded by young people drinking.”

She said the event is promoted as family friendly and young people are encouraged to go: “Why is there beer there at all?”