THE leading one day event of its kind in Ireland and Europe, the Tullamore Show makes a welcome return this weekend after a two year break caused by the Covid pandemic.
All roads lead to the Butterfield Estate on Sunday next, August 14 for the staging of the Tullamore Show and the FBD National Livestock Show.
The site is currently being transformed into a tented village to cater for the 60,000 visitors from all over Ireland and overseas who will visit and take part in show events.
There is a total prize fund of €175,000 and competition will be keen in a whole host of classes.
The event will be officially opened by Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue. Many other dignitaries will be in attendance including Minister of State, Martin Heydon.
At short notice the organizers are grateful that the Mountbolus Pipe Band have agreed to perform at the opening ceremony.
The Gardai have also issued a detailed traffic plan which is published in the special supplement free with this week’s Tribune.
Offaly’s own Olivia Douglas will entertain the throngs of spectators with many other musical acts including Clara singer Alex Roe at various times throughout the day.
As always Tullamore Show has introduced new attractions and Show Chairman Joe Molloy highlighted some new classes such as the highest EBI Animal, the robust dairy heifer calf, three new sheep breeds including Blue Texel, Spotted Dutch and Dassenkop.
The dairy section has an impressive prize fund of over €21,000. This section hosts a total for 40 classes, including 2 new classes, across three breeds, Holstein Friesian, Jersey and Dairy Shorthorn. The classes of note include – Class 51: Super €2,500 National Holstein Heifer in Milk and Class 52: €2,500 FBD National Livestock Show Senior Cow in Milk.
The pedigree section has four breeds (Limousine, Hereford, Simmental, Charolais) holding their National Show at our show. There are young member’s classes and young handlers’ classes throughout the show. We endeavor to encourage young people to carry on the tradition of showing cattle which is an art in itself.
The commercial cattle section boasts five new classes.
The sheep section has the biggest number of entries on record with new breeds being accommodated like Blue Faced Leicester, Irish Dutch Spotted and Dassenkop. Here it will be a hive of activity with sheep shearing demos, mental health talks by George Graham and sheep dog demos.
Alpacas and their many crias a site to behold.
The Irish Pig Society hold their All-Ireland Championship.
Entries in the horse section are up this year and for the first time ever, entries will be taken on show morning. The most elegant class is the Ladies Side Saddle.
The Fashion Arena will have fashion shows throughout the day. And also, competitions for the best dressed lady, the most traditionally dressed Farmer and Bonny Baby with amazing prizes to be won.
The show has classes for dogs including obedience classes and even a class for the waggiest tail.
The indoor sections including crafts with the finest of patchwork quilts, horticulture with vegetables and flowers you thought could never be grown so perfect.
Cookery competitions including mouth-watering cakes breads and scones and the final of the Odlums Home Baking Championship. For the first time ever Odlums will launch the Odlums Pavilion at 10am with Chef Adrian Martin and Catherine Leyden giving talks and demos throughout the day. Also, at 4pm Maria Harte will give a cookery demo on quick smart, healthy and money saving baked lunches.
The Junior final of the All-Ireland Home Cook Championship will also be held.
Art & photography will have works of art and photography on show.
The poultry competitions and some of these may even have been to the beauty parlour.
There will be huge interest in the Farm Safety demos and Macra Farm skills
Workshops to help you gain the skills to be prize-winners at shows will also be held.
The show boasts hundreds of trade stands offering all you will need for home, business, garden or farm, children’s entertainment and food village offering great variety of food.
Tickets are on sale now www.tullamoreshow.com online for €20 or on the day for €25. Why not skip the Q and scan it through? Tullamore Show really is a great family day out with free entry for children under 12.
Check out the show’s social media accounts for updates and key features of the Tullamore Show & FBD National Livestock Show.