Preparations are well under way for the 2015 AIB National Livestock Show at Tullamore, scheduled for Sunday 9 August. Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the year for breeders and farmers all over the country, the show is not just about farming – it has evolved into a national event that showcases the best of country living with something for everyone.

It’s the type of show that every exhibitor would like to be going home from with a rosette, never mind one of the 22 gold medals that are awarded to the breed champions. This year, there will be a total prize fund of €168,000 awarded across 1,000 classes, with 45 national livestock titles up for grabs. Up to 60,000 people are expected to attend this one-day event.

But it doesn’t just happen. If you look at the statistics, they are mindblowing. Apart from all those on the show executive and sub-committees, it takes the assistance of over 400 volunteers to ensure that the event happens without a glitch.

The Butterfield site extends to 250 acres, with free parking for 20,000 vehicles. The trade stand space is sold out, with 700 stands booked and over 300,000 square feet of marquees and tented villages yet to be erected.

Special emphasis has been put on farm safety this year, with the Farm Relief Services, the HSA and FBD coming together to raise awareness of the issue. It is understood that additional tracks have been installed to account for wet weather. But I’m sure organisers will be hoping that this is just precautionary.

The concept of staging a show at Tullamore stemmed from a meeting of a small number of people in the early 1990s, with a view of reviving an agricultural show in the midlands town. Up to then, the last show in Tullamore was staged in 1938 – it was the only town in the midlands that didn’t have a show of its own at the time.

From that meeting, it was decided to hold a show in 1991 on the outskirts of the town. Such was its success that the show was moved to a larger site at Charleville Estate the following year. This became the venue for many years to follow, where the show grew in reputation and popularity.

Although the Tullamore Show is regarded as one of the pinnacle showing events in the summer calendar, it hasn’t been without disappointment. In its first 21 years, the show had to be cancelled three times – in 2001 due to Foot and Mouth and in 2007 and 2008 as a result of bad weather. After all the hard work and tireless effort, the sheer disappointment was palpable at the time but the committee members brushed themselves off and went about organising a show in 2009. It was then decided to move the venue to the 250ac Butterfield Estate in Blueball, three miles away from the Charleville Estate. This has been the home for Tullamore Show for the past seven years.