O’Dea hails the role of rural shows

Ray Ryan, Agribusiness Correspondent

Speaking during a visit to the 51st Cappamore Show in Co Limerick, he said vast changes have taken place in the countryside in the last 10 years.

He said rural Ireland has become so built up that in some ways it has lost its sense of being rural, but gatherings like that at Cappamore give people who pursue their livelihoods in the countryside a chance to come together and showcase their interests.

Mr O’Dea said Cappamore has one of the best shows in Ireland with a huge tradition behind it and always superbly organised.

Show Secretary Patrick Ryan said the organisers were delighted with the large crowd, big entries for almost 140 classes and the continuation of a tradition of having fine weather for the event.

The show, held on the lands of Jerry Duggan and Kevin Conroy at Bilboa, was a delightful mix of serious competition in cattle and horse classes and family orientated activities.

Among the many trade stands was one selling framed photographs of Pope John Paul II, General Michael Collins, Elvis and Eamon de Valera. Those items, like the show itself, covered a wide spectrum of Irish rural life from religion to politics and entertainment.

But for a couple of cattle exhibitors, who made 500 mile round trips from Donegal, the interest was much more intense.

Gerald Gallagher, Carrigart, won the GVM All Ireland commercial championships with a two-year-old Charolais bullock. The reserve champion was also owned by a Donegal exhibitor, Garvin Milligan, Raphoe.

Sam Coleman, Ballymena, who judged the 2,500 final, which had a line up of qualifiers from eight counties, said the quality of beef animals on show was tremendous.