Tullamore Show hailed as ‘flagship exhibition’ of farming and rural life
It will have over 1,000 classes, a total prize fund of €165,000, 45 AIB national livestock championships and is expected to attract over 60,000 people to a 260 acre site at the Butterfield Estate.
The show will have 700 trade stands, a 27% increase on last year, free parking spaces for 20,000 vehicles, a huge tented village and an enhanced layout and programme.
Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who will officially open the show at 1pm on Sunday, has already described it as a flagship event in the agricultural year and a wonderful occasion to see the best livestock in the country.
“The event illustrates how integral the agriculture sector in general, and the family farm in particular, is to local and rural communities, representing a key boost to the financial wellbeing of local economies,” he said.
Breeders and owners of different livestock breeds will vie for coveted gold medals on Sunday in the AIB national championships, a central feature of the show.
There will also be a pre-show forum for the livestock industry at the Meat Village Pavilion in the show grounds on Saturday evening (6 to 9pm) with the Minister as a key speaker.
Mairead McGuinness, MEP, will preside over what should be a lively a debate on the sector’s future.
Joe Burke, Bord Bia, Pat O’Meara AIB, Eddie Downey, IFA President, Ciaran Fitzgerald, Chairman, Meat Industry Ireland and Michael Hanley, CEO Lakeland Dairies, will be also on the panel with Leonard Dolan, show executive, as MC.
The country’s top sheep shearers will also flock to the show to participate in hand and machine shearing classes. Competitors from all over Ireland and Britain are expected to attend, including world champion, Donegal man Ivan Scott.
The 13-time all-Ireland shearing champion Pat Corrigan will instruct people in hand shearing using the ‘jacket and trousers method’. Seamus Dooley, a leading wool merchant, will explain how farmers should store wool correctly.
Tullamore Show committee is headed by Rodney Cox, chairman, Brenda Kiernan, vice chairperson, Freda Kinnarney, secretary, George Gill, assistant secretary, Pat Harnett and Tom Maher, joint treasurers, and Christy Maye, PRO.
They take pride in the fact that the show brings urban and rural communities together to enjoy an authentic cultural experience that combines livestock, home and garden, entertainment and fashion, music and much more
The present Tullamore Show was first held in 1991, with Charleville Estate on the town’s outskirts the venue for many years. As the event grew and evolved, it also met some challenges on the way. The 2001 show was cancelled due to the foot and mouth outbreak and freak weather in 2007 and 2008 dictated last minute cancellations. But the support of the local and regional community, the loyalty of sponsors, public demand and Offaly pride ensured the show would continue with a new venue on the Butterfield Estate 7km outside the town.
Show Chairman Rodney Cox said the continuous commitment and tireless efforts of the executive committee, voluntary workers and landowners make this remarkable show a calendar staple.
“Building on from the success of last year’s event, which enjoyed record attendance, the show is designed as a platform to present all aspects of Irish culture and agriculture.”
