Huge crowds throng Athlone Agri Show
Athlone Agri Show Chairman John Dolan said he was “delighted” with how well the show went on Sunday last following the return of the cattle classes and addition of a new shuttle bus.
“The weather was fabulous. It was a really good day. We had a massive crowd on the day,” he told the Westmeath Independent on Monday.
Image 1 of 5
Veronica Walsh with a buzzard at Athlone Agri Show last Sunday. Photo: Paul Molloy.Image 2 of 5
Cousins enjoying their ice cream - Michael Halpin, Adam Halpin, Luca Norton and Logan Halpin at Athlone Agri Show last Sunday.Image 3 of 5
Michaela McCormack with Maria Walsh MEP at Athlone Agri Show last Sunday. Photo:S Paul Molloy.Image 4 of 5
Amy Gill having fun in the water at Athlone Agri Show last Sunday. Kieran Clancy / PicSureImage 5 of 5
Jack O’Hanlon, Red O’Hanlon, Sarah O’Hanlon and Sandra O’Hanlon with Roxy at Athlone Agri Show last Sunday.A free shuttle bus service from Golden Island was provided by Rohan Transport for the first time this year which ran every hour from 11am to 6pm. Cllr Dolan said: “From what I heard it was very well used. Hopefully, in years ahead it'll be more widely used.”
He added that this year's site on Michael O'Donohoe's 40-acre farm at Garnafailagh “is the best site we were ever on” and he thanked Michael for providing the site for the past two years. Cllr Dolan said that everyone commented on how accessible and suitable the site was.
The Kilgarvan man added that it was great to see the cattle classes back along with the addition of a new poultry section. There were a record number of entries of horses this year and there were 100 classes in the equine section.
Athlone Agri Show also had a large entry of sheep this year which the organisers were surprised about as a large sheep event was held the day before the agricultural show.
Cllr Dolan said that the dog show was really well attended and there was a new Best Dressed Lady competition this year with the winner receiving a voucher for Wineport Lodge in Glasson. “We had a large selection of kids entertainment, a bouncy castle, Bozo the clown and different rides for the kids.”
Musical entertainment was provided on the day by Moate based-band Streetwise.
"The show wouldn't happen without a very strong committee who really did untold work,” Cllr Dolan said in tribute, also thanking the show's sponsors and the public who came out in their thousands to attend this year.