MADAM,

ON behalf of the Irish Shows Association, I wish to sincerely thank all who took part in our first ever virtual show last Saturday, August 22nd. What a day we had, with an eight-hour live broadcast bringing all the fun and frolics of an agricultural show, albeit in a virtual way. Along with results and commentary on the various competition categories, we had interviews, demonstrations, panel discussions, a celebrity chef cook-off, virtual trade stands and plenty of music to entertain people throughout the day.

Who could have envisaged this time last year, when we were in the height of the show season, that our only show this August would be online? The Covid-19 pandemic turned all of our lives upside down. Initially, we were all hopeful that shows would be able to take place in the late summer, but by April, it became clear that it would not be possible.

Shows rely on gate receipts and local sponsorship to run, so running behind closed doors would not be a viable option and we had to prioritise the safety of our volunteers, exhibitors, and the general public. This led us to recommend to our member shows that all activities should be cancelled for 2020. The decision was not taken lightly, but we needed to provide leadership and guidance to our member shows in the interest of public health.

The cancellation of our shows left a huge void for us, for our many volunteers and for the exhibitors who keep our shows running from year to year. Speaking to exhibitors, we felt that there was an appetite for participation and to get their stock seen. We also wanted to give something back to the people who support our shows year after year. Out of this came the seed of an idea to run a virtual show with free participation. Working with Loughnan Hooper, Ciara Kinnarney and their team at Dotser/SuperShow we worked out a system to allow people to enter their photos and videos online and tried to keep as close to a show standard as we could in a virtual format.

We cannot thank them enough for all of their help and time. With help from many media outlets and our network of shows, we promoted the event through social media and received a phenomenal response. Even with a strict no late entries policy, we had 1705 entries across our 132 classes, coming from all parts of the island of Ireland, Great Britain, Spain, Poland and even as far away as the United States and Canada. There is a lesson for all in that. Thank you to all of the exhibitors who took the time to support this show.

Our attention then turned to our virtual show day and preparing a quality programme of entertainment. We wish to thank all of the contributors, guest commentators, musical acts and our judges, all of whom gave their time for free to make the day a success.

We were due to host the event from Tullamore, but the Covid-19 restrictions forced us to move to Athlone at the 11th hour. Our thanks to the management of the Radisson Blu Hotel for accommodating us at short notice. Similarly, the former Minister for Agriculture was due to open the show, but circumstances changed on Friday and we are very grateful to Minister Martin Hayden TD, Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, for stepping into the breach at very short notice.

Of course, an eight-hour live broadcast was a mammoth undertaking and was not without its technical glitches. I have never known a real show day to run 100% smoothly either, so it was an authentic experience.

Lastly, I wish to thank my fellow committee members, especially our Secretary, Jim Harrison, our President, Catherine Gallagher, Vice-President, Bill Leeman, and Treasurer David Devane for the work they put in to make it all happen.

If you did not catch the show live last weekend, eight hours of content can be viewed at your leisure on our website (www.irishshows.org), along with a chance to view the entries and the prize-winners in the various categories.

Now, our attention turn to next year, with renewed energy and hope. We will be liaising with the various authorities to ensure that protocols are put in place to get our shows back on the calendar for 2021. Until then, stay safe and well.

Yours etc.

Catherine Cotter,

National PRO

Irish Shows Association