Summer show season is well under way right across rural Ireland. President of the Irish Shows Association Pat Corbett told the Irish Farmers Journal that it’s going well, with weather a major factor in each show’s success.

“Attendence is good. We are lucky with the weather,” said the former dairy farmer from Clonaslee, Co Laois. “It’s a real parish day, a local day. The smaller local shows are parochial and they’re the backbone of rural life. It’s a shop window for the exhibitors. Word gets around about a good animal.”

Corbett is in his first year of a two-year term and his vision for the association is to make shows as enjoyable as possible for everyone.

“It’s a huge thankless job and sometimes there is a certain amount of abuse. But the people who run the shows are all volunteers,” he said.

However, the main problem shows face is finance.

“To secure finance you depend on companies and businesses. It’s tough going to them year after year. But it’s promoting their business and a cheap form of advertising.”

The major finals come in under the jurisdiction of the Irish Shows Association and it also organises the qualifiers. The association is also responsible for securing a competitive insurance deal for all the shows to help keep down organising costs.

This weekend, the Irish Farmers Journal will be covering the Clonmel and Longford shows. For more information, log on to www.farmersjournal.ie