Marie Louise brings a gentler touch to the presentation of show livestock
Driving home that point at the Swinford Agricultural Show in Co Mayo last weekend was Marie Louise Ryan, Copperfield House, Cabra, Co Tipperary, winner of the National Young Stockperson of the Year final, sponsored by the Irish Shows Association and Swinford and District Development Association.
Last year’s winner, John Hannon, from Kilfinny, Adare, Co Limerick, had to settle for second place this year.
The aim of the competition, which included qualifiers at 21 shows countrywide, is to promote and develop correct preparation and showing of livestock by young exhibitors between 12 and 17 years.
Qualities sought by the judges included an ability to wash, clean, dry and turn out the animal for judging, general knowledge about the animal itself, including its feeding, breeding and position in the marketplace, and the ability to handle and present the animal in the show ring.
It was another busy show weekend, with a number of important championship finals decided.
Greg Stafford, Kilmore, Co Wexford, took top prize in the Goresbridge 3,000 All-Ireland through bred broodmare final at Tullow, Co. Carlow.
The best colt foal was owned by Hans Juergen, Coolrein, Co Laois, with Frank Sinnott, Colestown, Co Wexford, having the best filly foal.
The Tullow Livestock Sales-FBD Suffolk Cheviot Cross ewe lamb final was won by Laurence Murphy, Ballysallagh, Hackettstown, Co Carlow, while Roger Callanan, Ballinderry, Carrick-on-Suir, took the Blonde D’Aquitaine calf championship in the cattle section.
Mai Bowe, Durrow, Co Laois, won the home butter-making championship, sponsored by Marcus McCormack Insurance, Tullow.
Memories of the late Jim Norton, the agricultural journalist, were recalled at Oldcastle Show in Co Meath, in the final of the 2,500 Livestock Art competition, which was Mr Norton’s brainchild.
The aim of this competition, which included six qualifiers around the country, is to capture visually Ireland’s present day livestock sector and to encourage artists, especially younger ones, to address the commercial agricultural scenes that are central to the industry.
Confined to amateur artists, it was won by Lily Keegan, Colonstown, Rathangan, Co Kildare. There were 31 paintings in the final.
In the showing rings at Oldcastle, the top award in the2,300 Young Beef Bullock championship, sponsored by Oldcastle and Orkan Properties, went to Joshua Millar, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
One of the main showing events at Roscommon Show was the All- Ireland final of the Connacht Gold 1,300 Angus Cross Heifer, which was won by David Burns, Easkey, Co Sligo. At the same show, an exhibitor from the north, Vie Coulter, Castlederg, Co Tyrone, took the top prize in the 1,270 Irish Draught Yearling Filly championship, which was sponsored by Burke and Associates, Auctioneers.
No-one knows her potatoes better than Margaret Prendergast of Irishtown, Claremorris, Co Mayo, the winner at Tullamore Show for the third year in a row of the Bord Glas All-Ireland Potato Championship. Second placings in 1997 and 1998 completed her domination of the potato exhibiting scene.
At the Drimoleague Show, the West Cork Colt and Filly Foal Championships went respectively to exhibitors Declan Fahey, Clonakilty, and John Dillon, Rosscarbery.
Showing activities continue over the coming days with Kildysart Show in Co Clare taking place today (Thursday) and the big Limerick Show on Saturday and Sunday at the new Limerick Racecourse, near Patrickswell. Enniscrone Show in Co Sligo will be held on Saturday.
Shows are scheduled for Sunday at Ballingeary, Co Cork; Gurteen, Co Sligo; Inniscarra, Co Cork, and Oughterard, Co Galway.
