The ISSA said on its Facebook page this Wednesday that the event scheduled on 2 and 3 June would not take place. The all-Ireland champions and the team members for the 2019 World Championships in France will be selected from the 2018 circuit formed by Donard Shears, Balmoral Show, Connacht Spring Show and the Top of Coom instead. There will be no all-nations champion this year.

Venue

"We never got a suitable venue," ISSA secretary, Eileen Coffey, told the Irish Farmers Journal. The association issued repeated calls to clubs or organisations interesting in hosting the event, but they proved unsuccessful.

"At this point in time there is no point in organising with the amount of work involved."

She added that she was confident a venue could be identified in time for next year.

ISSA president and former all-Ireland champion Pat Corrigan said this was the first time the All-Ireland Sheep Shearing would not take place since he took part in the first event in 1952.

"There's no one to run it," he said. "It's a pity."

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