Good weather largely prevailed for the well-attended 2026 Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show.

Taking place at the Butterfield Estate in Blue Ball, Co. Offaly, yesterday (Sunday, August 9), the event saw only a light rain shower in the evening.

In the cattle section, the Parade of Champions took place after all the classes had been judged and brought the day’s proceedings to a close.

Below is a gallery of Aubrac, Shorthorn and Blonde d’Aquitaine:

The Aubrac champion was owned by Colin Jackson from Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow. Source: Alf Harvey.

Reserve champion Aubrac owned by Leo Dooley from Craan, Clonegal, Co. Carlow. Source: Alf Harvey.

The champion Shorthorn was owned by Martin Kelly from Rathvilly, Co. Carlow. Source: Alf Harvey.

Shorthorn reserve champion went to the McKeon family from Co. Sligo

The champion and reserve champion Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle were both owned by John Barry Moran from Co. Westmeath. Source: Alf Harvey.

In the Shorthorn classes, it was a bull owned by Martin Kelly from Rathvilly, Co. Carlow that took the overall champion while a cow from the other end of the country in Co. Sligo took the reserve Shorthorn title, owned by the McKeown family.

Gallery below of Salers, Angus and Hereford:

The Salers champion was owned by Catherine Minogue from Coolagoree Salers, Feakle, Co. Clare. Source: Alf Harvey.

The reserve Salers champion was owned by Conor and Alfie Melvin from Co. Dublin. Source: Alf Harvey

The champion Angus was owned by Leo McEnroe’s Lisduff Angus, Co. Cavan. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve champion Angus was owned by Karl Connell from Oldcastle, Co. Meath. Source: Alf Harvey.

Champion Hereford was owned by Peter, Lily, Ava and Lorna Cooke from Bawnlea Herefords, Co. Tipperary. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve champion Hereford was owned by Jack and Shane Larkin from Tullamore, Co. Offaly. Source: Alf Harvey.

It was a special year at the event for the Irish Hereford Breed Society, with delegates from across Europe in attendance at the breed’s national championships.

The society is hosting the 2026 European Hereford Conference in Co. Kilkenny this week and delegates from across Europe travelled to the Tullamore Show and FBD National Livestock Show as part of the event.

Gallery of Belgian Blue and Commercial:

The overall champion Belgian Blue was owned by Billy Dunne from Errill, Co. Laois. Source: Alf Harvey.

The reserve champion Belgian Blue was owned by James McNally from Co. Longford. Source: Alf Harvey.

The champion Commercial calf owned by Sean O’Brien from Co. Donegal. Source: Alf Harvey.

The reserve commercial calf champion was owned by Gerard Barrett from Co. Mayo. Source: Alf Harvey

The Senior Commercial champion owned by Kevin O’Brien from Claremorris, Co. Mayo. Source: Alf Harvey.

The reserve champion Commercial owned by the Stevenson family from Co. Donegal. Source: Alf Harvey

One of the big talking points at the livestock section was the quality of the cattle presented at the show on the day and the continued genetic progress being made in the cattle being presented annually.

In particular, several spectators noted the quality of the commercial type cattle presented on the day, an area that has been attracting increasing interest in recent years.

Gallery below of Simmental, Charolais and Parthenaise:

The champion Simmental owned by Lyndsey Behan from Ballyfin, Co. Laois. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve champion Simmental owned by Jamie Reape from Co. Mayo: Alf Harvey.

The champion Charolais owned by Shane Conlon from Co. Monaghan. Source: Alf Harvey

The champion Parthenaise was owned by John Coyne from Kilbeggan, Co. Westmeath. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve champion Parthenaise was owned by Ronan Carroll from Moate, Co. Westmeath. Source: Alf Harvey

In the Charolais cattle section, John Ward from Bantry, Co. Cork, was awarded the senior champion and reserve overall champion title for his impressive young bull Colomane Augusta ET.

This bull is sired by the well-known society bull Neptune.

Gallery below of Limousin and Irish Moiled

The Limousin champion owned by Michael and Brodie Molloy from Dunleer, Co. Louth. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve Limousin champion owned by Bobby O’Connell from Co. Limerick. Source: Alf Harvey

The champion Irish Moiled was owned by the Hyland family from Co. Mayo. Source: Alf Harvey

In the Irish Moiled Cattle Society breed championships, it was Ravelglen Dolly 853 owned by Alan Mooney from Co. Kildare that took the title.

Dairy classes

As well as the pedigree and commercial beef breed classes, the dairy classes also drew particular interest on the day with an impressive selection of dairy-breed cattle on display also.

Gallery of champion dairy stock:

The Jersey champion was owned by Peter Hynes from Co. Cork. Source: Alf Harvey

The Senior Holstein Friesian champion was owned by Emma Behan and Paul Murphy from Co. Cork. Source: Alf Harvey

The Holstein Friesian junior champion was owned by Daniel and Emer Curtin from Co. Kerry. Source: Alf Harvey.

The champion Dairy Shorthorn was owned by Glen and Ben Carter from Clonakenny, Co. Tipperary. Source: Alf Harvey

The champion Fleckvieh was owned by Harte Farming, Clones, Co. Monaghan. Source: Alf Harvey

The parade of champions saw winners from counties Donegal to Kerry and from Mayo to Louth.

The sentiment among farmers on the day was largely positive but farmers in some parts of the country are concerned about the current low grass growth rates and fodder supplies.

Gallery of Reserve champions in the dairy classes:

Senior Holstein Friesian reserve champion. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve champion Jersey owned by Daniel and Emer Curtin from Co. Kerry. Source: Alf Harvey

The Holstein Friesian junior reserve champion owned by Steve McLoughlin from Co. Kildare. Source: Alf Harvey

The reserve champion Dairy Shorthorn owned by Kenny Smith from Co. Dublin. Source: Alf Harvey

The Fleckvieh reserve champion owned by Pádraig O’Scanaill from Swords, Co. Dublin. Source: Alf Harvey

The annual livestock show is seen by many as the pinnacle of the summer show season with several breed societies hosting their national breed championships at the event.

The one-day event brings together the wider agri-industry to showcase the best of Irish farming in a positive environment.

Dairy classes

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