The bad weather in June and July has caused severe disruption not only to the harvest but to the schedule for agricultural shows throughout the country.
According to the Irish Shows Association, many of its 130 members have had to postpone their agricultural shows this year.
"It has not been a great couple of years for agricultural shows because last year all of them were cancelled because of the foot-and- mouth crisis," a spokeswoman said.
"That was a voluntary decision, taken to prevent the spread of the disease, but many of our members have had no choice this year because the weather has been so bad," she said.
Mullingar, she said, was one of the latest victims of the weather and this meant that hours of voluntary work and commitment had been frustrated.
"No one knows how much effort goes into running a local show, no matter how small, and without those voluntary committees, especially the secretaries, these events could not take place at all," she said.
A big problem which faced all the shows some years ago, public liability insurance, had been resolved by the association.
"We provide cover for the societies around the country and because we do, it is not terribly expensive and allows these events take place," she said.
Education of farmers was the original idea for holding shows. By putting the best cattle, sheep, pigs and farm produce on display, farmers could learn from the producers.
The idea took firm hold from the middle of the 1800s when virtually every village in Ireland had its own agricultural show.
"There was a big element of pride too at these events," said Mr Michael Miley, Teagasc's public relations officer, who believes that while the education element may not now be as important as in the past, the social element is.
"Farmers are a lot more literate now than they were back then but they still like to go and see stock and produce, especially if it is being judged by an acknowledged expert, especially if he is not a local," he said.
"Farmers have many more outlets for picking up knowledge about farming now - from us here in Teagasc and in the media generally - but there will still be that need for people to come together socially and show off their goods," he said.
Some of the longest-running agricultural shows in the country are still going strong, such as Piltown, Co Kilkenny, Tinahely, Co Wicklow, Ennis, Co Clare and the Cork show.
The big agricultural show of the year, the Spring Show in the RDS, Dublin, ceased in the late 1980s but it was replaced by the Tullamore Show which was revived in or around the same time.
Mr Tom Collins, the Offaly Chief Agricultural Officer, who is involved in running the Tullamore Show, said this event now costs well over €300,000 to organise.
"But it would not happen at all without the input of the 300 volunteer workers, who make sure the one-day event works very smoothly," he said.
He praised the work of the Irish Shows Association which is an all-Ireland body with upwards of a dozen affiliated societies in Northern Ireland.