Early August and again we are right at the pinnacle of the shows calendar that is Tullamore Show. It’s hard to believe a year has passed since the Blueball site last opened its gates to the public, but on 13 August all roads will once again lead to the famous showgrounds.

Last year marked the 25th anniversary of the show and at the close of gates late evening last year, the show committee promised to make 2017 even bigger and better again.

Bigger prize fund

To say they achieved this is an understatement. This year’s show sees a bigger prize fund, more competitions and inevitably a surge in entries.

Livestock is once again to the fore and is the main contributor to the massive €175,000 up for grabs.

This year’s show incorporates a significant increase on entries, with 2,000 animals making their way to Tullamore for the one-day event.

Animal diversity

These entries come from 17 different cattle breeds and 13 sheep breeds along with pigs, alpacas and horses.

The cattle section has always drawn enormous crowds of spectators and this year will be no different, with a further two rings added to cater for the increase in numbers.

Sixty-five-thousand people are expected to see over 700 trade stands, the national livestock show, dog displays, fashion shows and even a pig agility course in what promises to be a great day out.