In this article on www.thatsfarming.com Martin Quinn reports from Bansha Agricultural Show, which took place on Wednesday, August 23rd, 2023, at Bansha, Co. Tipperary.
This was the 65th annual show and attracted a large entry and a huge attendance. The show was started in 1956 by the late Canon John Hayes, Founder of Muintir na Tíre, and is noted for always having a fine day, a promise attributed to the late Canon Hayes, having been allegedly made by him prior to his passing in early 1957.
Certainly, this year’s show day lived up to that promise with the attendance basking in warm sunshine throughout the afternoon.
All livestock classes recorded a good entry as did the marquee exhibits. From early morning, there was a steady stream of people coming into the showgrounds and by early afternoon there was a huge crowd in the venue.
The marquee was a great sight of colour with flowers and crafts along with paintings and home produce to make your mouth water.
The nearby tea tent did a busy trade all day as people stopped to greet each other and enjoy a cup of tea together.
Outside in the main arena, there were stalls selling everything for a dog lead to a pair of runners and many groups and associations had stands with information on their organisation.
A tour around the venue was not for the faint hearted as there were four fields to navigate where cattle, horses, ponies and sheep were being judged.
There were two jumping rings which were very professionally designed and there was a large area reserved for the sheepdog trials.
2 Johnnies
In every area of the venue, there was something to be seen and people to be met, and amongst those, I bumped into was none other than Johnny B of the 2 Johnnies.
I reminded him that his grandfather John Joe O’Brien and my father, Larry Quinn, had hurled together as members of the Tipperary Junior Hurling Team.
He did not need reminding as he told me that he had a photo of the team at home.
Around the main stage area, there was great entertainment with some fabulous songs being belted out by Dee Morrissey, Glór Tíre star Colin Kenny and by Bansha’s No.1, ‘Porter Boys’.
There was no shortage of entertainment for the children with the newest versions of ‘hurdy gurdy’s’ that would make your head spin.
The dog show brought dogs of all makes and sizes and some even in fancy dress and of course no show would be complete without the Bonny Baby Show and the Fancy Dress competition.
Again, this did not disappoint and all the babies were so well behaved and a few even seemed to fancy their chances at presenting, with the microphone being a great attraction.
The Fancy Dress brought some very clever entries with the overall winner being a young Garda manning a cash machine.
There was just enough time for an ice cream and a sit down on a bale of hay before the announcement went out for the collection of entries, and so another Bansha Show was reaching its conclusion.
It certainly was a great day, not just for the Bansha community, but for all those who had travelled from various parts of the country either to participate or to enjoy. Here is to the 66th show in 2024, God willing!
