World Record smashed at Glenamaddy Show

DUNMORE man Pa McHugh broke a 37-year-old Guinness World Record on Sunday.

Many were watching on as McHugh broke the world record for ploughing an acre in the fastest time of nine minutes 19.96 seconds at the Glenamaddy District Ploughing and Agricultural Show.

McHugh had attempted to better the record at the 2025 Glenamaddy Show and his time on Sunday beat the previous record by 30 seconds. It was accomplished in his Massey Ferguson 8735 S and a five-furrow reversible Amazone plough.

Joe Langcake had set the previous Guinness World Record for ploughing an acre in the fastest time in October of 1989, at Hornby Hall Farm in Cumbria in the north of England, using a Case IH 7140 Magnum tractor and a Kverneland four-furrow plough.

“We gained 70 seconds in the time this year from last year’s attempt in beating the record. I was driving at 22 or 23kmh. The tractor has a horsepower of around 430,” said Pa McHugh.

“The ground conditions were bad, but we still broke it. There were adjudicators there and it was sanctioned by the Gardaí. A Garda was acting on behalf of the Guinness World Records. It was all videoed and all the measurements were taken.

“We had all the boxes ticked. They sent us out a list of things we had to have done. They said they can’t make it out to every attempt at breaking a record.”

The list of criteria also included official timekeepers and at least two independent witnesses before all the details were sent back to the Guinness World Records team.

“It’s a big achievement. There were a lot of people involved,” said Pa McHugh, who is a part-time agricultural contractor and plasterer with his brother John.

“I want to thank the Glenamaddy Show for bringing us in for the attempt and the backing team of Gerry, Kenneth and Desmond who did all the marking out and the figures. You need everyone helping out.”