With farmers dealing with an unprecedentedly hot summer, the attention of the rural community turned to Piltown on Saturday 22 last, as this year’s Iverk Show marked the 200th anniversary of the legendary event.
Starting before the famine, and surviving two World Wars, the Iverk Show has been a steadfast presence on the agricultural calendar and became the first country show in Ireland to reach the amazing two hundred year milestone.
Through that time the show has served as a point of connection for thousands in the surrounding area, as they lay down their solitary work for one day and came together to compare their produce, recognise each other’s achievements, and celebrate the passing year.
The Munster Express has a long tradition of support and involvement with the Iverk Show, and this year, like many years before, we were there on the ground to take in the festivities.
MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE
A clear sign of the show’s importance, Minister of Agriculture, Martin Heydon attended in person and addressed the crowd at official opening.
Martin Heydon attended Kildalton college as a young man. Minister Heydon referenced the fact that the Iverk Show was first envisioned in Anthony’s Inn, a pub in the area.
“I did not realise as a student here in 1997/98, when we frequented Anthony’s Inn that it existed in 1825.
“But in 1997/98 myself and my classmates too came up with some novel ideas in Anthony’s Inn after a few drinks but none of them were as significant as the foundation of the Iverk Show-I can assure you that!
Minister Heydon went on to outline the changing role of country shows through the generations, and the major contribution agriculture makes to the Irish economy and society.
“…as society has evolved, the role of agricultural shows is just as important today as it was back then but the focus maybe is slightly different,” he explained.
“Now, we have a whole cohort in our country, not even in our urban areas but in our rural areas, who are not directly involved in farming, who wouldn’t know exactly the processes of where our food comes from.
These agricultural shows are an integral opportunity for farmers and our farming families to highlight the best of agriculture, and to make sure that every citizen of this state is proud of the work our farmers do and how important it is to our overall economy,” he added.
“When you consider we export over 90% of the agricultural produce we make in Ireland. We export that to 190 countries around the world. And the economic value of that to our rural economy and our overall economy is worth €21 billion in exports that tells you the work that our famers do is absolutely critical.
“In that regard shows like Iverk continue to highlight that and the really important role that shows like Iverk play throughout that.”
THE 200th SHOW
The 200th Iverk Show turned out to be a hot and happy day for attendees of all ages. The Munster Express caught up with some of those enjoying the festivities.
“We are from South Africa but we live in Piltown,” Robin Torgius and Sean Torgius explained.
“We’ve bene here for 10 years now and every year we come and it’s wonderful to see to work that the farmers, the horse breeders and so on put into their jobs and for them to showcase it, I think it is really really cool. It’s really rewarding for them. It’s good for the whole community.
“But it really should be a two day event,” Robin suggested. “One day is quite short.
“We’ve got something similar from our home town, back in South Africa, so I think that makes this even more special, that little bit of familiarity. It’s not that different, it’s very local community and farm driven and we enjoy it. Of course the cider always helps,” they laugh.
Anne Cottrell attended the day with her grandchildren. “I actually came here when I was about 4 or 5, a good few years ago. My father owned a mare and a foal, and he actually won in the horse show with the mare and foal. God that was a good few years ago now.
“The foal went on to be on the English team for the IFN cup. Iverk is a bit of family tradition. There’s so many highlights, but I think the animals, the cattle, of course the showjumping, the bulls. It is a lovely day for families, and everyone is so pleasant.”
Michael Higgins and Irene Kiely found the vintage section to be the highlight of the show.
“We weren’t here with a few years,” they explained. Maybe it’s all got a bit bigger, the crowds are definitely bigger. Bigger and better.
“The vintage would be the highlight for us. They have a nice selection of stuff up there. Well that and the food,” they laugh.
NED WALSH
After the show, The Munster Express learned that Iverk’s longest serving man, Ned Walsh, had passed away. Ned spoke to this newspaper for the 200th show supplement published last week.
In the conversation he explained how a 10 minute job minding a gate saw him working at the show for 73 years. During the conversation Ned was sharp and insightful, he explained that while he looked back fondly at generations gone by, it would not have been better for everyone back then either, as farmers probably had financial and social advantages that those in urban areas did not.
He also wondered where work would be in the future as AI changes how everything is done, a stark difference from his early days when everything on the farm was done by hand.
Ned seemed like a warm, intelligent and thoughtful man throughout the conversation. He saw the Iverk Show to it’s 200th anniversary, took part as he always had, and passed away a short time later. He will be missed.
AARON KENT Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
