The Clare Champion Clare news, sport, entertainment and local notes
The show will take place on Saturday, July 20, with a wide variety of events planned, including the return of last year’s successful Best Dressed Lady and Most Suitably Dressed Gentleman competitions.
While the town is currently basking in the sunshine, it won’t matter if the good weather doesn’t last, as the Showgrounds has an indoor facility to ensure any rain doesn’t dampen the fun.
Key to the success of the show over more than a century has been the involvement of the committee’s volunteers, the local community and other supporters.
According to Mary Stafford, PRO of the Clare Show Society, “Community involvement is something I feel very strongly about. The County Show is great for the county, as it creates a great sense of community spirit. Every section has a head who is responsible for setting it up and they work very hard in making sure the show runs efficiently.
“We are always open to new people to come and join the show society and get involved. The County Show and the society is a long-established tradition. We are over 100 years going and some people are not aware of the wealth that we have in volunteers, for that length of time, which is a pity. I think if young people give of their energies on a voluntary basis it’s wonderful and I would love to see more young people come on board with new ideas.”
She went on, “Many of the businesses in the town are very supportive. And, of course, there are the people who come along on the day and make the show such a success.”
Although the County Show is synonymous with celebrating rural life, according to organisers anyone can enjoy the vast array of events. With the Showgrounds close to the centre of the town, the show is expecting many residents to come along and see what’s on offer.
Mary said, “We will have lots for people to enjoy. It’s definitely not just for people from an agricultural background. There are so many new estates in the town and we are encouraging people to come along and see the show.”
The show includes ever popular competitions, including the All-Ireland Broodmare Championship, pedigree cattle, horticulture, arts and crafts, home industries, rare breeds, miniature horses, Connemara pony classes, a dog show and dog agility, among others. There will also be speakers discussing grow your own, which proved to be a major success last year. In showjumping, highlights will include the Munster Grand Prix League qualifier and the Leddy League qualifier.
“As well as the many different events we will have trade stands and people will be able to come in in the morning and spend the whole day with the family and get something to eat. The Showgrounds is very central in our town and we’re lucky to have this facility. People can walk with their families to the Showgrounds, which is a big advantage. As well as the people from Ennis and the rest of the county, the show usually gets a lot of support and entries from our surrounding counties,” said Mary.
The show’s committee have been busy working to ensure this month’s event is as successful as last year’s.
“Our chairman, Bernard Hanrahan, and our show committee are very dedicated and are working very late hours. We already have a lot of entries. We had a most successful day last year. We had the largest gate taken for many years and we are hoping this year we will be just as successful. The Showgrounds is looking really well. A lot of money has been put into upgrading the Showgrounds in general and, in particular, our main arena.
“With all our hardcore area, it’s very comfortable for people to walk around and with the indoor facility, there is lots of space and choices. We have four arenas going at the one time to facilitate all our classes. I was just there this morning and our entries are all really good to date,” Mary concluded.
Full details on the County Clare Agricultural Show are available on www.clareshowsociety.com.
