The return of shows for 2022 will not be plain-sailing as insurance costs are up 25% on 2019 levels.

National secretary of the Irish Shows Association, Jim Harrison, said that getting insurance for 2022 shows was hard work but added that it was successfully secured in the end.

“The initial quote was 90% dearer than 2019 but we got it down to 25%,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal.

The Irish Shows Association provides approximately 116 shows with insurance cover across the country.

“The whole thing is very volatile at the moment, especially with public liability.

“Any show that’s fit to pay for it will get cover,” he said.

Harrison said that there is an average of 1.5 claims per year at shows across the country but that this figure has remained the same now for a number of years.

“That’s less than 1%, if we could keep it that low it would be great,” he said.

Sponsors

Harrison’s advice for show committees is to look after the sponsors they have.

They mightn’t give you what they gave you in 2019 but it’s important to keep the relationship

“Don’t be afraid to go out and ask them.

“They mightn’t give you what they gave you in 2019 but it’s important to keep the relationship,” he said.

“We are very lucky to get a rebate on our insurance premium from the Department of Agriculture.

“We get it towards the tail end of the year and we can give it back to the different shows then.

“We are very lucky to have gotten it every year since 2011 as it’d be very hard to run the shows without it,” he said.