‘It is a huge honour to host the Longford Agricultural Show’ - Cllr Gerry Hagan
‘The people of Killoe always row in and get behind everything’
Preparations are well advanced as one of the oldest continuous rural gatherings in Ireland, Longford Agricultural Show, gets ready to welcome the public.
The show, a must attend event of Longford's cultural calendar, takes place on Sunday, July 7.
The annual event returns to the lands of Gerry Hagan at Treanlawn, Killoe for the second year in a row.
“It's a huge honour to host the agricultural show,” Cllr Hagan said in advance of the big day. “It brings a great sense of community to the area in the week leading up to it and the week after it.”
The success of last year's gathering made returning to Ennybegs an obvious choice. “Last year saw a record crowd for the Agricultural Show. I suppose the location is very central. We know the people of Killoe always row in and get behind everything. They put their shoulder to the wheel and work hard to make it a success. The same will be happening again on Sunday week.”
As the host of the show the landowner needs to make adjustments to their farming methods. “We took all that into consideration; things like silage cutting and fertiliser application. It's had a bigger impact this year from a farming point of view. Last year it was on Sunday, July 2, but this year it's Sunday, July 7.
“That knocked back my silage cutting. I usually cut around the end of May, but I didn't cut until last week. Obviously there wasn't too much grass growth,” he said.
Cllr Hagan said he enjoys the Show as a family day. “I'm looking forward to taking my mother down from Dublin again this year. She had a very enjoyable day last year. It's a great day for the family.”
The committee, headed up by chairman JJ Farrell, have created a very broad programme. That committee includes general secretary Ruth McNally, equine secretary Bernie Whyte, cattle secretary John Whitney, and craft secretaries Cynthia Geelan and Olive Quinn.
Cllr Hagan says the performances by local musicians are a real draw. “There is live entertainment from 1pm to 6pm. This will feature Declan Nerney, Seamus Farrell and Brid Shaughnessy. The day will see free children's entertainment plus the Jiving Competition National Dance Qualifiers for 2025.”
Other highlights include a tug-of-war, magician, face painting, inflatables, treasure hunt, a cookery demonstration by Fiona Egan, craft displays, a huge prize fund, and lots more.
Longford Agricultural Show 2024 takes place on Sunday, July 7 on the lands of Cllr Gerry Hagan, Treanlawn, Longford.