There is a wide range of agricultural shows taking place this Sunday, July 16, with a variety of interests catered for at the different events throughout the south of the country.
For those interested in shows a bit further north, agri events for the rest of the country this weekend can be viewed here. With reasonably good weather forecast for this weekend, a great day out is in store at all of the following events.
West Kerry Agricultural Show
In Dingle, Co. Kerry, the 49th annual West Kerry Agricultural Show will begin this Sunday at the Dingle Mart Grounds.
According to organisers, the show will display “the best in livestock” along with a plethora of competitions in areas such as photography, arts and crafts, bakery and horticulture.
Showcased as “one of Kerry’s best family days out” by the event’s committee, the show will include activities such as sheaf-tossing, horse shows, dog shows, sheep dog trials, Irish dancing, fashion shows and a ‘bonny baby’ competition. For children, there will be a bouncy castle on the day. Admission is €5.
Ballyvourney-Coolea Agricultural Show
Meanwhile in Co. Cork, the Ballyvourney-Coolea Agricultural Show will take place – also on Sunday – in the Gaeltacht village of Ballyvourney in south-west Cork.
At the show, there will be a range of classes for cattle, sheep, goats, horses and ponies. This year will feature 16 qualifier competitions for livestock – up from eight last year – for a mixture of all-Ireland and Munster championships.
There will be a particular focus on the dancing competition, which is back for the first time in a few years. Organised by the local school of dance, led by Lorraine Twomey, the competition will be held for the ‘Sheila Friel Memorial Cup’.
There will also be the standard activities such as competitions in arts and crafts, photography, baking and many more, as well as a sheaf-tossing contest, fashion shows, live music and sports.
Craanford Vintage Rally and Field Day
In Craanford, Co. Wexford, the annual field day and vintage rally will be on the go on Sunday from 1:30pm to 5:00pm. The rally will feature a host of vintage tractors, cars and other machinery.
There will also be a bottle stall, bric-a-brac stands, a slide, strawberries and cream, and a best homemade pavlova competition, according to promoters of the event.
Castlegannon
In Co. Kilkenny on Sunday, the Castlegannon Show will be kicking off at 10:00am. Focusing on horse and pony show jumping, the event is entering its 44th year. The adult jumping will begin straight away, while in the afternoon at 2:00pm, lead rein pony displays will take place for children.
There will be a typical field day at the event too, with a dog show, hurling events and a ‘tug o war’ contest also scheduled.
According to one of the organisers, Michael Phelan, the event is a well recognised show – allwoing young riders to learn their trade and maybe go on to represent their country in the future.