TULLAMORE SHOW organisers are putting the heartbreak of having to cancel the country’s largest agricultural show for the past two years behind them by staging the largest event so far tomorrow in a new venue four miles from the town.
“Cancellation is out of the question this year and we are going ahead come hail, rain, snow or anything else,” said show chairman, Tom Maher, yesterday.
“The site is as dry as a bone and it’s like a beehive here with so much action going on at the Butterfield estate about four miles from the town on the Birr road,” he said.
“This is a grand, big, high site and we have been able to do a great deal of things here that we could not do on the Charleville Castle site,” he said.
He said special traffic arrangements had been put in place for the event by the Garda to assist the turnout of 50,000 people who will travel from all over the country and from abroad.
The show, which incorporates the NIB National Livestock Show, will see the largest assembly of cattle on this island, conservatively estimated to be worth €10 million, competing in 1,000 classes for a prize fund of €160,000, including 42 national titles.
According to Mr Maher, there will be 200 commercial, 200 dairy and 800 pedigree animals on the grounds for the event, which has seen entries increase by four per cent this year.
In addition to the top cattle in the country being on show there, there will also be 650 trade stands, and as the show incorporates the best of all rural shows there will be lots to see for all the visitors.
It will be formally opened by the Ireland East MEP, Maireád McGuinness, who has been on the EU Parliament’s agriculture committee for many years and is a former presenter of Ear to the Ground on RTÉ television.
As well as the visitors from the 32 counties, there are international visitors expected from Germany, France, Austria, Denmark and the UK. There will be an international visitor centre for overseas visitors for this year’s event.
The 2009 show is set to break all records, which will more than compensate for the disappointment of previous years. Ann Marie Butterfield and her husband Steven McQuade have given their estate to stage this year’s event, which covers over 260 acres.
There will be increased opportunities for the equestrian fraternity among the prizewinners in the Tullamore Show this year and for dog owners and for craftspeople.
The trade exhibition area and business arcades will feature displays ranging from very large machines to the latest gadget for the kitchen. All interests will be catered for and there will be an extended area for the forestry and sustainable living exhibitions and demonstrations.
Side shows range from a kiddies corner, best dressed lady competition, vintage show, to farm skills and traditional farmer competitions. Access and parking facilities are free for 20,000 cars on the new site.