Tullamore Show has been 'celebrating everything good about rural life for 35 years'

IT was the Michéal and Martin show!

Both Taoiseach Michéal Martin and Agriculture Minister, Martin Heydon were on hand to lavish praise on the hard work and commitment of the hundreds of volunteers behind the Tullamore Show at the event's official opening today.

Minister Heydon officially cut the ribbon to open the Show and the FBD National Livestock Show while the Taoiseach, in a special address, spoke of the Government's commitment to progress CAP negotiations during Ireland's six-month Presidency of the European Union.

Show veteran and Irish Shows Association President, Freda Kinnarney, a former Show Director of Operations, referred to the commitment of volunteers and said she was all too aware of the hard work behind the scenes.

Ms Kinnarney said she remained involved in the Show and had found herself a "place on the backbenches."

She recalled the Show's 35 years and referred to the three years the event had been cancelled – in 2001 due to Foot and Mouth and in 2007 and 2008 due to bad weather and flooding.

"But the show revived nd came back in strength," stressed the Killurin woman.

Show Chairman, John Keena formally welcomed dignitaries to the site including the Taoiseach and Agriculture Minister, Dail Deputies Tony McCormack and John Clendennen, MEPs Barry Cowen, Nina Carberry and Maria Walsh, Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council, Cllr Declan Harvey, Cathaoirleach of Tullamore Municipal District, Shane Murray, councillors Neil Feighery, Ollie Bryant, Peter Ormond, Eddie Fitzpatrick, Hughie Egan, Claire Murray and Audrey Hennessy Kennedy, President of the IFA, Francie Gorman together with local and national representatives of main sponsor FBD.

He thanked the site owners, Annemarie and Stephen McQuade and Johnny Butterfield, who he noted, had led the dignitaries to the stage in his role as a drumer with the Mountbolus Pipe Band.

"Four weeks ago this was a greenfield site and a working farm and I want to thank the landowners for allowing its use."

He also also thanked other landowners, car park owners, local residents, Offaly County Council, Offaly Fire Service, the Gardai, Order of Malta and other medical personnel.

He paid tribute to all the sponsors, some of whom have been with the show since its revival in 1991, and singled out main sponsor for FBD for particular praise.

The Ferbane based farmer said the Show would not be possible without the hard work of hundreds of volunteers.

"They helped us put this Show together and hopefully they will help us in the next few weeks taking it down."

Mr Keena said though it was 35 years since the revival of the event it continued to grow each year.

He noted that the Sustainable Livestock Village continued to be an important part of the event and this year is concentrating on women in farming and generational renewal.

A suckler farmer himself, Mr Keena encouraged the large attendance at the opening to view the quality cattle on display in the FBD National Livestock Show.

"Some of ye spent longer getting ye're cattle ready than ye did on ye're selves," he joked.

Referring to two stalwart Show members who passed away in recent years, Tommy Finlay and Christy Maye, Mr Keena said two benches had been erected in their memory – one in the Dairy Section which Mr Finlay had led for many decades and the other at the main stage in memory of Mr Maye. The main stage has also been christened Christy's Gig Rig in his honour.

Concluding he said the Show would not be possible without the hard-working staff in the office, in particular Secretary Chelsey Cox McDonald.

Pat Gilligan, Head of Sales Midlands with FBD, said it was an honour for him as an Offaly man to represent his company at the official opening.

"We renewed the sponsorship deal with the Show for another five years and for us it was an easy deal to do," he revealed.

Mr Gilligan said livestock was at the core of farming in Ireland and farming was at the core of FBD.

"Farm families and rural Ireland is where we came from and we have gone onto huge success," he outlined.

In a wide-ranging address, Taoiseach Michéal Martin said the Show personified the professionalism of the farming and agri-food sector.

"Shows like this provide an important window into our past and a vision for our future."

Noting that the agri-food sector is Ireland's largest native export industry, the Taoiseach said it made an important contribution to food security across the European Union.

He stressed the Government values the work of farmers and will always continue to support them.

Referring to Ireland's Presidency of the EU, Mr Martin said negotiations on the next CAP and EU Budget would be progressed over the next six months.

He said the Commission's proposals for the new CAP emphasised the importance of food security and generational change.

Mr Martin stressed the Government will continue to work closely with its European partners to build consensus on the future of CAP.

He emphasised the role CAP plays in environmental issues and referred to the devastating impact of climate change witnessed across Europe this summer.

The Taoiseach stressed that the new CAP will place an emphasis on encouraging young people to enter farming through an increased focus at EU level on generational change.

Agriculture Minister, Martin Heydon said the Show throughout its 35 years in existence celebrated everything good about the rural way of life in Ireland.

He stressed that shows were the lifeblood of rural Ireland and noted the Government provided €1m in funding this year to the Irish Shows Association,

Referring to the Sustainable Livestock Village he said the most important sustainability measure was economic so as to ensure farm families had good incomes.

He complimented the show on always taking the issue of farm safety seriously and described last years as a black one in which 27 people lost their lives on farms.

"It's important to reflect that everyone who works in farming works in the most dangerous industry in the country," stressed the Kildare based Minister.

"Today I would ask all to commit themselves to looking at the things on their farms which are hazardous."

Following the blessing of the event by Rev. Yvonne Hutchinson and Fr Joe Campbell, the red ribbon was cut by Minister Heydon who declared the Show officially open.