It’s full steam ahead for 47th threshing at Moynalty

The peace and tranquillity of the picturesque north Meath of Moynalty will this weekend be broken by the sounds and sights of a bygone era as the Moynalty Steam Threshing Festival gets underway.

The 47th annual event will take place this Sunday, 14th August, in the grounds of the Moynalty Steam Threshing Museum and parkland in the heart of the village.

The stage will be set by the Steam Threshing Committee where displays of vanishing work practices and food production can be seen along-side craft making and vintage displays.

In what promises to be a great day out for young and old as it has something for everyone, displays and demonstrations remind us of how things were for our forefathers: Horse and steam power, reaping and binding, threshing and flailing. Traditional crafts such as basket weaving, steel forging, hot shoeing, tin craft, wood turning and harness making are all to be seen while the local ladies will give demonstrations on making butter at the full-size replica cottage. Brown bread, colcannon, boxty and pancakes will all be cooked on the open fires to taste and available for sale.

Being welcomed back to this year’s event are festival friends from Derbyshire and Lanks Northern and Middle England along with Irish friends, the Connelly family from Monaghan, Ivan Mullen from Galway and David Armstrong from Wicklow with others who will demonstrate a vintage road making display, a massive crowd pleaser over the years which intends to be bigger and better this year. This will entail a reenactment of how roads were made over 100 years ago.

Moynalty Steam Threshing also boasts a fantastic museum of artefacts and memorabilia which will be open for viewing on Sunday.

A céad míle failte awaits everyone in Moynalty for this year’s festival where refreshments will be served and where you can bring home a keepsake from one of the fine craft stalls.

The children will be well entertained by the amusements on site and can visit the many farm animals on the old-style farm yard or enter their dog in the dog show.

The Irish Lumberjack show is an exciting show of fearless skills and displays of wood-chopping, pole-climbing, and chainsaw racing. Loggers compete in a variety of disciplines based on traditional logging skills to determine the best lumberjack skills.

The event will also host a ‘Queen of Steam’ competition and jiving competition entries will be taking on the day.

There will be music and craic all day long this year with the ever-popular Nathan Carter taking to the stage in a grand finale of music. Musical entertainment throughout the day by Paul Leavy, Matt Leavy, The Ennis Brothers, Gavin Gribben and entertainment from the local Jennifer Brady School of Irish Dancing will have the venue heaving with fans of country music, culture and crafts of modern and by-gone days.

Moynalty Steam Threshing, Moynalty, Kells, at A82C6K7; gates open 9am to 7.30pm with ample free parking.