With show season in full flight, we look ahead to four of the biggest, which are yet to take place.
AS soon as the gates close on an agricultural show, the planning starts for next year’s instalment almost immediately.
That’s the feedback from tireless stalwarts who work 12 months of the year to ensure the long-standing tradition of agricultural shows not only continues, but thrives throughout West Cork.
There have been significant changes over the decades, most notably that entries and results are now all mainly done online in a bid to be more sustainable.
Meanwhile, it’s not unusual to see a TikTok star billed as a main attraction.
But the ethos of shows has stayed the same, and that’s celebrating rural life, nurturing talent and providing quality family fun.
Clonakilty Show takes place this Sunday, June 8th and with all the hard work of its committee now coming together, it promises to be another superb day out.
Impressively, this is the 108th annual show in Clonakilty and secretary Sheila Jennings, and the entire committee under chairman Richard Kingston, are always thinking of ways to keep the programme fresh and exciting.
Demonstrating how the show wheels keep on turning, Sheila re-booked several attractions as they left the showgrounds last June, for 2025.
‘You’re never really “off”,’ she said. ‘We have meetings every six weeks throughout the year, but if you like the work, and I do, it’s a pleasure to be involved.’
Clonakilty show typically attracts crowds of between 5,000-8,000 and a big draw this year is TikTok star, the ‘Sheep Shepherd’ from Kerry, who’ll be capturing some of the day’s action for his social media platforms.
Dunmanway’s show takes place on Sunday, July 6th. Chrissie O’Mahony is joint secretary, a role she shares with Catherine Cotter, daughter of Kitty, who was show secretary for more than three decades, only retiring in 2024.
The numbers speak for themselves: ‘I’ve been involved in one way or another for 20 years!’ said Chrissie.
Like their equivalents in Clonakilty, there’s no real down-time. A debrief typically takes place shortly after the show, with committee meetings getting underway in earnest usually from November.
As well as a main committee with chairman Reggie Chambers, there are five other committees – horse, cattle, domestic, dogs and sheep, each comprising at least five or six members. Volunteers are the backbone of the operation.
‘We’re very lucky in that we have so many members willing to get involved, but it’s always good to get new people onboard too, to get fresh ideas,’ she said.
Dunmanway Show boasts several national horse and cattle competitions, which sets it apart, as well as a prestigious All-Ireland Young Show Person.
‘Catherine is on the board of the Irish Shows Association and works hard to secure qualifiers for us. In particular our young handlers competition, for horse and cattle, draw huge numbers, and is a great showcase of talent and skill that’s out there and keeps a whole generation involved,’ said Chrissie.
Usually, Chrissie would be gearing up for a busy few weeks ahead, taking entries and preparing the programme.
‘My phone used to be hopping morning, noon and night, and everyone’s details had to be typed in. Thankfully we now use a computer package specifically designed for shows, both for entries and results, which has really brought us into the 21st century.’
Dunmanway show committee members Catherine Cotter, joint secretary; Reggie Chambers, chair, and Chrissie O’Mahony, joint secretary.
With so much competing for people’s time and attention, what’s the attraction of show day?
‘I think it’s the tradition of it, and the community involvement. Shows came back bigger and better than ever after Covid which speaks for itself.’
Her favourite part of the day is the domestic section (flowers, baking, crafts etc): ‘We usually have around 900 entries – sometimes we’ve had over 1,000 – and when you see everything laid out, all the colours, the smells, the variety it’s incredible. The talent of people is just amazing and what you’d see in Dunmanway would rival any other show in the country.’
Meanwhile, all roads will lead to Skibbereen for the Carbery Show which takes place on July 17th. It was founded in 1836 and has always taken place on a Thursday, explains secretary Mary Sheehy.
Far from being a disadvantage, the fact that it takes place on a working day helps to attract anywhere up to 100 trade stands.
Mary admits to being ‘steeped’ in show history – her grandfather Patrick Fitzgerald was very involved with the committee, along with her husband’s grandfather John Sheehy, and his father, current vice chair Jimmy Sheehy.
She works all year-round and like Chrissie, agrees that going online has been ‘life-changing.’ Cork County Yearling Championships, and Cork County Beef Bull Championships help to set the Skibb show apart with entries coming from all over the country. This year, for the first time, there’ll be a poultry exhibition.
‘People just love the Carbery Show – we’d have lots of people who come from Cork city on the bus every year. A lot of them say they love the circular setting, and that you could go around 50 times and you still wouldn’t meet the same person twice!’ said Mary.
Finally, the spotlight will be on Bantry for its show on August 17th. Founded in 1996, it boasts three All-Ireland competitions, including a new addition this year, the All-Ireland Crossbred Breeding Ewe Championship bringing in qualifiers from all over the country.
‘The variety on offer means there’s never a dull moment, and that’s what keeps people coming back year after year. We normally have a crowd of around 7,000-10,000, we are hoping we get a bigger crowd again this year and definitely next year when we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary,’ said secretary Jade Maher.
‘The volunteers are absolutely vital to the success of the Bantry show. They’re the backbone of the event, working tirelessly behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly, from setting up the ground to managing competitions and helping visitors on the day. Without their time and commitment the show simply wouldn’t be possible, and what makes it even more special is that these are local people who care about the show and the community,’ she added.
Of course the only thing out of all the committees control is the weather.
‘It can be very nerve-wracking alright, waiting to hear the forecast,’ said Chrissie O’Mahony. ‘We were very lucky last year – it was raining five minutes down the road, and when people arrived here, the sun was shining. There have been occasions we’ve been hit badly and it’s devastating but just have to hope for the best.’
Mary Sheehy agrees: ‘When we went into the showgrounds at 7am last year, a few tents had overturned and it rained until around midday but you just have to be as prepared as you can, stay positive and get on with it.’ In other words ... the shows must go on!
