Rural Ireland is being decimated by emigration.

Ireland pony show jumping team manager Tom Slattery is confident his charges will rise to the occasion as the European Championships return to Millstreet next week after 25 years.

The bizarre and the brilliant were showcasing their abilities in Cork this weekend with two festivals giving centre stage to those ordinarily on the fringes of the entertainment industry.

Ireland is set to host the largest juggling and circus arts festival of its kind in the world.

I nervously went up to Coom, on the Cork-Kerry border, to be taught how to shear. It was akin to shaving while arm-wrestling, says Conor Power

“Organised by farmers for farmers” could be one of the mottos of the National Dairy Show, which will be held for the 30th time on October 20 at its usual indoor venue in the Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Co Cork.

With the summer festival season almost over and the sun set to belatedly beam in its aftermath, you may be feeling at a loss for something to do over the weekend.

A NEW YEAR is upon us and with it comes the start of the agri show season.

January 18th &19th sees the return of the annual Spring Farm Machinery Show which opens at the prestigious Green Glens Arena, Millstreet, Cork at 12 noon on Wednesday 18 January 2012.

RORY O’DONOGHUE (Watergrasshill BC) has been handed the opportunity of a lifetime ahead of tomorrow night’s visit of the NYPD boxing team to the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet with the news he has been chosen to replace national champion Adam Nolan (Bray) in the featured welterweight contest with Beijing Olympian John Joe Joyce (St. Michael’s, Athy).

JOHN JOE JOYCE is set to kick start his build up to next year’s Olympic Games at the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, Cork on December 10 when he will be part of the bill built around the visit of the NYPD to box a Garda selection, promoted by Rylane Boxing Club.

BIG-TIME boxing returns to the Green Glens Arena in Millstreet on December 10 when Rylane Boxing Club combine with the Garda Boxing Club to stage a show that will be built around the annual visit of the NYPD to box a Garda selection.

CIAN O’CONNOR is unequivocal in his belief the €300,000 reportedly spent by Horse Sport Ireland on participation in the recent Alltech World Equestrian Games was not excessive.

DEREK McGARRITY could be forgiven for having a sense of déjà vu this weekend as he goes from one circuit to another.

STEVE COLLINS was back on some old, familiar territory in Cork last night to receive another belt, this time at Neptune Stadium where his brother, Paschal, was promoting the Irish middleweight title fight between Corkman Gary “Sp.ike” O’Sullivan and Ciaran Healy.

AFTER a wet 2009, cows but no rain are on offer next Saturday at the National Dairy Show. The event is completely under cover in the Green Glens Arena at Millstreet, and offers an enjoyable day out for all the family, whatever the weather.

IT was the animal that ploughed the fields, brought milk churns to the creamery, and took the country family to church by trap on Sundays.

PASCHAL COLLINS predicts a big future for Corkman Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan ahead of his pro debut, the undercard to the Billy Walsh/James Gorman Irish welterweight title fight at Neptune Stadium tomorrow night.

BILLY WALSH admitted yesterday that he was irked by the suggestion from Belfast opponent James Gorman that he only had temporary custody of the All-Ireland welterweight championship belt.

BILLY WALSH will find himself fighting for an Irish title after just a handful of professional bouts when he takes on the experienced James Gorman for the vacant light welterweight title at Neptune Stadium in Cork on January 26.

ONE of the features of the silver jubilee National Dairy Show at Green Glens Arena in Millstreet, Co Cork, tomorrow will be the Irish Examiner Forum, where a wide range of topics will be discussed.

THE 25th National Dairy Show will be held next Saturday at its usual indoor venue, the Duggan family’s Green Glens Arena at Millstreet, Co Cork.

COUNTRY music legend Dolly Parton apologised to fans yesterday after the last minute cancellation of her Cork concert at the weekend.

FINE Gael eat their young. Or, at least, some of the Blueshirts do. The party’s health spokesman, 38-year-old Dr Liam Twomey (young by political standards) was on stage addressing delegates when the fire alarm went off at the Green Glens Arena on Saturday morning.

Fine Gael is to launch a major childcare policy document at its national conference in Co Cork on Saturday.

IT COULD be a case of NYPD black and blue after a novel boxing tournament in Cork next month.

FINE GAEL last night chose Cork South Central TD Simon Coveney as their European election candidate to replace retiring party MEP John Cushnahan in the South constituency.

MOTIVATION is not an issue for Andrew Nesbitt ahead of the Murphy Construction Cork “20” International Rally that is set to yield the Armagh ace his second Toshiba Computers Irish Tarmac Championship title.