US pumpkin set to squash its rivals

A GIANT pumpkin weighing more than 1,100lbs made history yesterday as the first ever to cross the Atlantic to “squash” its rivals.

It has come to Ireland to compete for the title of heaviest pumpkin at the Virginia Pumpkin Festival in Co Cavan this bank holiday weekend.

Extreme care was taken to ensure the pumpkin arrived in the best of shape, with bags of water attached to the giant fruit to ensure it kept its weight up throughout.

It will take on other squash heavyweights from Britain, France, Finland, Austria, Germany and Slovakia.

It was grown by Dan Bowles from Wisconsin, and is similar to the giant pumpkin that will be presented to President Barack Obama for the annual Halloween celebration at the White House.

The pumpkin has been affectionately dubbed by locals in Virginia as “the vice-presidential Pumpkin”.

Jimmy Murray, a member of the Virginia Festival Committee, said they had been looking forward to the arrival of their “Very Important Pumpkin”.

Mr Murray thanked SuperValu in Virginia Shopping Centre who made arrangements to have the pumpkin brought to Ireland for the festival, now in its fourth year.

More than 20,000 people are expected to travel to Virginia for the festivities that include Ireland’s largest fancy dress competition, the pumpkin weigh-in on Sunday and a gig by chart topper Imelda May.

Also taking place is the country’s largest outdoor street theatre performance – the Pumpkin Bites back to be shown Friday and Sunday nights. The stage will be 40 feet high and the characters will add 100 feet onto that.

pumpkinfestival.ie.