FORMER local TD and Government minister Michael Ring has called on agricultural shows to “reinvent themselves” and widen their appeal to the general public. The now-retired Ring mentioned this at his local show last Sunday in Westport where the inaugural Ireland West young horse championship series kicked off.

“I know shows are particularly about the cattle and horses but at the same time, shows should look at themselves and try and reinvent shows. Its very important to get people coming into the shows,” said Ring, who first secured substantial funding for agricultural shows, back in 2017, in his previous role as Minister for Rural and Community Development.