Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has announced an investment of €1m to support 122 agricultural shows across the country.

Each show will receive a grant of €6,000 to €11,000 depending on their size. The funding will help committees cover their costs as they prepare for the upcoming show season, which takes place over the summer months.

The funding brings the total brings the total allocated to agricultural shows since 2018 to over €4.3m.

Minister Humphreys made the announcement as she launched the 2024 Yearbook for the Irish Show’s Association (ISA).

Community

Announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said that the shows play a vital role in community life and raises awareness of the role of the important role agriculture plays in society.

“These shows are the threads that build bridges between our towns and villages, and the hinterlands that support them.

“They act as a platform for local producers to showcase their products and have become a key date in the calendar for the farming community.”

The Department of Rural and Community Development will work with the shows association to administer the scheme for 2024.

Environment

The Department and the association are encouraging participating shows to be more environmentally aware in delivering their shows.

Initiatives in the areas of waste management, responsible printing, use of single use plastics, and appropriate traffic management should all be considered with a view to showcasing best practice in the area of event management and becoming more sustainable.

The Minister acknowledged the efforts of the show committees, volunteers, sponsors, local businesses and local organisations that play a role in each of these shows and said that “the shows would just not happen without their support.”