Opening of €650m tunnel to attract larger crowds to Limerick Show

By Ray Ryan, Agribusiness Correspondent

Thursday, August 05, 2010

LIMERICK’s newest amenity, the €650 million tunnel under the River Shannon, is set to boost one of its oldest events: the agricultural show.

Organisers of the show, which reverts to being a two-day event on August 21 and 22, are hopeful the tunnel will encourage more people to come to the event from elsewhere in the mid-west, the midlands and the west.

Motorists travelling at the legal speed limit of 80km/h will pass through the tunnel in 30 seconds, saving 20 minutes on journey times through Limerick city at peak traffic times.

That means easier than normal access through the city to the show venue at Limerick Racecourse in Patrickswell.

The tunnel, which is designed to take 40,000 vehicles a day from Limerick city centre, was officially opened two weeks ago by Taoiseach Brian Cowen.

Agricultural show chairman Leo Walsh said the tunnel is a great asset to Limerick, Shannon Airport and the whole mid-west region and will hopefully attract visitors to the event from further afield.

He said the show, which is costing €100,000 to stage, was traditionally a two-day event and for a period was staged over three days.

It became a one-day fixture last year, but it returns this year as a two-day event with a broad range of attractions and entertainment.

Walsh said the show is part of Limerick and he hoped the people of both the city and country will come out and support it.

"We have a fantastic venue at the racecourse in Patrickswell. We are confident we will attract good crowds. We have had many inquiries and we have an excellent programme in place," he said.

The event was revived in 1929 but there is evidence of a Limerick Show having been held at various venues as far back as the 1880s until the start of World War One in 1914.

Among the feature attractions are classes for a large number of cattle breeds, as well as the Limerick Lady and Matron championships in the horse section, horse and pony jumping and sheep exhibits.

A farmers’ market, a trade display, a bring-and-buy poultry sale, talks on gardening and floral arrangements, entertainment for children, a pet dog show, best dressed lady and gentleman competitions and a display by the army are among the other activities planned.

A free bus service will operate to the showgrounds from Brown Thomas and the Regional Hospital at noon and 2pm on both days.

This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Thursday, August 05, 2010