All smiles at sun-kissed Athlone Agri-Show

“All God's creatures have a place in the choir,” blared out from the tannoy across Michael O'Donohoe's extensive site in Garnafeile, Athlone, on Sunday.

It could have been the theme tune really for an Athlone Agri-Show that had a little of everything from owls to alpacas, from ducks to cattle.

The weather Gods smiled benignly too and as a result the crowds flocked to what was another successful Athlone Agri-Show.

The show has been steadily growing in recent years and the 2024 edition was no different.

PRO Michael Flanagan said the committee was very happy with the show this year, but acknowledged the weather was crucial.

“Like all outdoor events in Ireland, we are dependent on the weather and we were blessed with it this year.”

The show is a reminder for an increasingly urbanised town of the vital role rural life plays in our area – and that even those terms, rural and urban, are almost artificial in the context of regional Ireland.

Parking was plentiful, the sod thankfully dry, and the site spacious and welcoming.

Rohan Transport were busy ferrying showgoers from Golden Island on the hour to ensure the show was accessible to as many as possible.

Across the expansive 40-acre site, there was something for everyone. With the sun shining, the 99 machines were in constant demand, the children's play area was packed and every second person seemed to be attached to a canine companion with the dog show, overseen by Peter Devery, a big success.

Pride of place this year went to both the equestrian area and the sheep section, both experiencing significantly increased entry levels.

There was a mammoth 107 classes in the equestrian section, with competitors travelling from almost every county to take part and a number of RDS Horse Show qualifiers.

The sheep section showcased eleven different breeds across seven rings and there was a keen competition too with a number of All-Ireland finals up for grabs

The cattle and sheep section were an interesting mixture of knowledgeable show veterans and newcomers – united by a keen interest in where the judge's rosettes were being distributed, red, blue and yellow, for 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Elsewhere, the birds of prey and alpacas were also big draws, for both young and old.

This was country life at its best with tradition and modernity mixing together. Rural innovation and enterprise was showcased in the over 40 trade stands and exhibits, overseen by Martin Monaghan.

When the Westmeath Independent visited the showgrounds, the announcer was informing the public that judging was about taking place in the poultry section to be followed by the start of the dog show, beside the poultry section. Visions of mayhem floated swiftly into my mind.

Thankfully, though, diplomatic incidents were avoided – and all went off smoothly, with no feathers ruffled!

And indeed there were many smiling faces leaving the poultry section later, as a freshly laid duck egg and hen egg was available for the first 50 families to visit.

Entries in the cookery section were up on last year too

Recently re-elected Fine Gael councillor John Dolan was wearing a yellow steward's jacket - and was taking the well wishes and congratulations of showgoers as he went about his task.

Indeed, the extent of the voluntary back up was clearly evident, from those helping with parking, to guide traffic flow along the nearby roads, to the many who helped set up the site and manage the various sections.

And of course, the ever-ready and ever-present Order of Malta were on hand in the event of any issues.

This year's show coincided with Father's Day, and there was a special egg and spoon race for all the Dads to delight the crowds, though it paled in comparison to the children's egg and spoon's race which had almost 100 entries, with heats required!

Everyone went home tired and happy – and some armed with those precious rosettes!

Roll on 2025!