THE National Ploughing Association (NPA) has confirmed to The Echo that next year’s venue for the National Ploughing Championship will not be in Co. Wexford.

Anna-Marie McHugh, from the NPA, confirmed that New Ross is not being considered for 2013 and laid the blame squarely at the hands of traffic issues.

“In every other way the venue was ideal in Heathpark,” she said.

“Indeed, we agreed there was probably nowhere else in the country that could have withstood the weather the way this year’s venue did but in terms of traffic it was a problem,” she added.

However, Ms. McHugh did say the event will “definitely return to Heathpark” when the New Ross by-pass is completed.

“When the new bridge is in place we will definitely be returning to New Ross but it won’t be until then,” she said.

This year almost 190,000 people visited the site over the three days. A wide range of local businesses availed of the opportunity to showcase their products and services at the event.

A number of meetings have taken place between the NPA and local stakeholders over the last number of weeks and despite lobbying from local people the organisation decided that holding the event in Heathpark again in 2013 wasn’t viable.

However, Ms. McHugh said no decision on where it will be held next year has been made. A formal announcement on the new venue will be made on November 11. It’s believed that Lismore in Co. Waterford is one of the venues strongly being considered, however, Ms. McHugh couldn’t confirm this.