'A big outdoor party': Crowds flock to day one of Cork Summer Show
Cal Power of Cork City pictured at the Cork Summer Show. Picture: Clare Keogh
There may be the newest technologies and machinery on display, but the Cork Summer Show has its roots in 218 years of agricultural history.
Each year, there are crowds of over 40,000 people attracted to the event held at the Cork Showgrounds in Curraheen, and this weekend is on track to be even better than ever.
Ran by the Munster Agricultural Society, its president Robert Harkin said however that there is one true marker of show success – that the people who turn up enjoy their day out, whether the cattle competitions, trade exhibition, or entertainment were the main attractions for them.
Mr Harkin hopes that all those who came on Saturday – estimated by the committee at around 20,000 – and those yet to come on Sunday "meet up with old friends, make new ones, whether two-legged, four-legged, or winged".
Mr Harkin told the that day one was "fantastic", describing it as a "big outdoor party".
Aside from a single brief rain shower in the afternoon that caught many by surprise following persistent heat and glimpses of sun, it failed to put a dampener on the day.
"The crowds were fantastic, everybody enjoying themselves, the competitions are going so well, there is so much going on," he said.
"It’s flowing, there is such a lovely, friendly atmosphere here; we are so happy, and everyone seems to be going around with a smile on their face."
With faces painted and sticky fingers from melting ice cream and salty chips obtained from the food fare - some of the sights, smells, and tastes of a summer's day at such a show - Mr Harkin said he hadn't "seen any crying children all day!".
"I think tomorrow is going to be equally as good," he added, urging anyone who can come to the event on Sunday to do so – or "you won’t know what you’re missing".
Tánaiste Micheál Martin made his way through the crowds, and told the that "one cannot overstate the importance of events such as Cork Summer Show particularly in terms of the agricultural industry, because 40,000 people visit".
"Agriculture has been a very significant industry in the Cork area for a long, long time, it’s just important that it’s showcased," he said.
At the official opening of the Cork Summer Show 2023, Mr Martin announced a collaboration between the Munster Agricultural Society and University College Cork (UCC).
The Munster Agricultural Society is providing a philanthropic gift of €375,000 to the Cork University Foundation.
The arrangement provides for the development of a Farmland Biodiversity Education and Research Programme within Agricultural Science at UCC.
The society will also loan a two-acre research site to UCC for plot-based research in soil and grassland science.
The objective of the programme at UCC, in conjunction with the Environmental Research Institute, is to develop and deliver a comprehensive programme of farmland biodiversity education, demonstration, research and extension initiatives.
Mr Martin told the that he finds farmers across the country generally are "very alive to this agenda, and they put a lot in, in terms of doing the homework themselves and research" around environmental solutions.
"If other sectors in society had the same application, we might be in a better position overall climate-wise," he said.
He added that "it might seem" that the agriculture sector, however, is the one under the most scrutiny in terms of its emissions, but said this is not the case, with sectors such as transport and energy "under huge scrutiny".
"Every sector has to play its role, agriculture is playing a significant role; because if you look over the last 15 years, there has been an exponential growth in agricultural production and dairy production, particularly, since the lifting of the quotas and that brings with it sustainability challenges."
Because of this, farmers are adopting more of the right technologies, and many finding steps such as the inclusion of multispecies in their swards also benefiting "yield and quality of milk".
"There is a pathway there to reducing carbon emissions from agriculture whilst maintaining production and it will be challenging, but there are challenges in all areas of society, not just in Ireland, but globally," he said.
Mr Martin also said that it is "fantastic to see young members of farming families so diligent and so attentive to their animals in preparation for the competitions" at the show.
"As one of the organisers said to me, the disciplines that the young people are learning here in competition – hard work, preparation, but also accepting the judge's decision – [it is a] learning curve for many of the younger people here," he said.
In agreement with Mr Martin is well-known Cork showman Peter O'Connell, who accompanied his granddaughter, nine-year-old Tori, in today's cattle showing classes.
Mr O'Connell runs the Raceview Simmentals herd with his wife Marion in Mallow, Co Cork.
He and Marion have seven grandchildren - four boys and three girls - he told the
The adoring grandfather is "absolutely delighted" that his grandchildren are keeping up the tradition of showing.
Mr O'Connell said they had a "super first day back" after "at least 10 years" of not showing cattle at this particular event.
"We're back anyway this year, a combination of a couple of young grandchildren mad for the show ring, and had a few cattle we thought were appropriate to bring," he said.
"As luck would have it, the whole thing went very well for us - we took every class we stood in to and our young showwoman Tori was blessed to be walking the animal the judge chose as Simmental champion with the youngest calf on the field, and it set her on fire."
And, shortly afterwards, Ms O'Connell took an overall reserve champion title as well.
"First day walking in a championship and she steals all the goodies," he added.
"Everything she touches turns to gold."
The calf is a "lovely one we bred ourselves out of our new stock bull", according to Mr O'Connell.
"To say Tori is at one with the calf probably does it justice, because she can actually walk down the field and just put a halter on the calf and the calf will come on away with her," Mr O'Connell explained.
"It's important to have somebody that's interested, but it's important to have a calf that'll be handled appropriately as well and this calf just wants to do everything that Tori wants her to do.
"They seem to be a nice couple and she's enjoying it, and I'm enjoying watching her."
Mr O'Connell said the family will "hit Charleville next week, we'll have more of the grandchildren there, and we'll go for fun anyway".
"We had them all last Sunday in Clonakilty, we appreciate having them; every day they're out is special," he said.
"They mean absolutely everything to me, I have the privilege of being a rather young grandfather at 67 and I'm young enough to enjoy their company and I like to think they enjoy my company.
"We like showing and they appear to like it at the moment so we'll indulge them while they'll indulge us."
Agricultural shows are a "focal point" of the summer weekends for Mr O'Connell.
"I love rugby as well and that's a different season so they don't clash, so it's ideal really!" he said.
"We won't do as many shows as we would other years but if the grandchildren want to go, we'll find some few calves to bring."
