The 80th annual Virginia Show took place at the Showgrounds in Virginia, Co. Cavan, yesterday (Wednesday, August 23).
The show attracted huge crowds from across the region and further afield and weather conditions proved favourable for the one-day event.
Although the Diageo Baileys Champion Cow competition was one of the centrepieces at this year’s show, the beef breed classes also attracted huge numbers of entrants and spectators alike.
One of the highlight events in the beef breed classes was the Liffey Meats €2,000 Champion Super Beef Bullock.
The title went to Co. Longford last year but this year, went to Co. Donegal, with Victor and Clive Barnett taking the first prize of €700 home to the hills in Raphoe.
Judge Alan Farlow described the champion bullock as having “super confirmation all over” and added it had “with “lovely soft beef” and was “well covered”.
“A lovely top-loin and super all down the loin. Good locomotion walking round the ring. A super bullock,” Farlow said.
Taking the top prize in the Interbreed Champion was a Limousin cow belonging to William Smith. Taking second in this class was an impressive Charolais bull belonging to Martin Hughes.
Next up was the Univet Ireland and Virginia Show Commercial Heifer Champion and it was Sinead and Ciara McKeown’s entry that took the first prize here.
Virginia Show also hosted the All-Ireland Male and Female Weanling Championships sponsored by Carnaross Mart.
There was a significant prize fund and there tough competition in both the weanling bull and weanling heifer classes.
Taking home the title of the Carnaross Mart All-Ireland Male Weanling Championship was an exhibit from Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan man Sean Hughes.
The Carnaross Mart All-Ireland Female Weanling Championship title went the way of well-known Co. Donegal commercial cattle breeder Pierce McNamee.
Virginia Show is considered the end-of-summer showcase for agriculture and rural life and the purpose-built showgrounds make this event one of the most popular shows in the country.