THE 97th renewal of the Limerick Show took place on Sunday, August 23rd at Limerick Racecourse. With six showing rings and almost 50 full classes, it was a challenging day for stewards and officials. There was also a jumping arena and not to mention a large cattle showing section, sheep, poultry and a dog show. With over 250 individual horses and ponies showing and 120 jumping, it was a full programme from flag fall to finish.
With AMCS as anchor sponsor, the day was a great success. The show is very fortunate to have a very good relationship with the Limerick Racecourse, who have been hosting the show now for almost a century. On the racecourse side, this is made possible through the good offices of chairman Mark McMahon and vice chair Jerry Mullins, who is also a major player on the show committee.
AMCS is a locally-based hi-tech company and, along with the McManus fund, were the main sponsors and allowing the executive to have all children’s entertainment free provided a great day out for all. Ideal show weather on hand all day made it a memorable day for a huge attendance.
Horse showing chairman Richard O’Regan, assisted by Fiona O’Sullivan and Gerry Mullins, had a bumper schedule laid on, with Shane McKenna going home with an armful of red rosettes and enough trophies to stock a jeweller’s shop.
Originally from Limerick, Shane is now looked on as one of the premier show producers in these islands. From his yard in Bunmahon, Co Waterford, he had 21 horses in the RDS bringing home 20 rosettes including the champion lightweight.
But it was Carrowgar Herald, owned and bred by Gina Heaps of Quinn, Co Clare, who took the Limerick Supreme Championship award for the Richard Power Cup. This beautifully-produced horse by Herald really caught the eyes of the visiting UK judges Will Price MFH (Wheatland), who was ride judge, and Kieran Price.
Many keen observers favourably commented on Will’s horsemanship and the pair were recruited by Mary and Gillian McCarthy of the show committee. The McCarthy family were in the ribbons with young James McCarthy (6) on Jellybeans and his even younger sister Zoe in the first ridden lead rein class. The Gelston Cup, kindly sponsored by John McNamara MH for the Mini championship, was won by young Cian O’Neill and led by his mum Leah O’Neill.
New management
The show has established a new management team, led by Richard Kennedy, with Anne Sutton as show secretary/manager and Richard Power Jnr now as vice chairman. Paul Hennessy and a team of willing helpers have been hands on for the last couple of months, bringing the show into the 21st century.
The show is supported by many professionals, such as medical officers Dr Denise McMahon and Dr Morris Rowsome, while the equine patients were looked after by veterinary surgeons Ballybrown Veterinary Clinic and Dr Louis Hasset MRCVS.
There was a marvellous and hard-working team already on hand, with cattle showing being run by Michael Laffan, Richard O’Regan from Athlacca who looks after horse showing, Geraldine Nicolas who runs Horticulture and the hard-working Ann Gabbett and Yvonne Deegan of the crafts department and Seamus Leahy, who is now chairman of the sheep section. Dee Cusack and Fergal Deegan look after entertainment and the business side of the show.
As always, Joan Bateman runs the TIHA section, with the Limerick Lady Championship taken by Jennifer Haverty’s unnamed filly and the Matron Championship going to John Roche’s Assagart Harmony by Coroner.
Show jumping was very efficiently run by David Moran of Askeaton. Appropriately, the Co Limerick Hunt, with huntsman Fergus Stokes and whipper-in Peter Kiely, paraded hounds before the main competition. Meanwhile, there was a hound display with four packs showing two couple each. This was organised by Scarteen huntsman Jamie Cross, who had hounds on show as had the Newmarket-on-Fergus foot beagles, the Dromore Harriers and Stonehall Harriers.
Speaking of show jumping, with over 120 entries in the all-horse programme, The Limerick Leader Cup, sponsored by Marian Fitzgibbon of Widdess Pharmacy, was won by Denise Moran from Askeaton, who is the third generation of Morans to claim the premier show trophy.
The 1.10m class, sponsored by Bill Hanly MFH of Hanly Donnellan Auctioneers, went to Maeve Coffey on Creevaghstables Buttler Jones for the second year running, while second was Olivia Shanahan on Cooleyhill Bonzo.
The ridden hunter championship (The Dunraven Cup) went to Shane McKenna and Carrowgar Herald. The side saddle was won by Alice Copithorne on the home-produced Kipling.