New Shows Association president
National Being By Ining Trevor Kinnarney Outgoing President Picture: Ray National Brady, Armstrong Congratulated Freda President
The network of 130 rural shows has a new president, Freda Kinnarney, who was recently elected to the position at the annual general of the Irish Shows Association, in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.
Known to exhibitors countrywide as the former secretary and operations manager of Tullamore Show, the largest one-day show in Ireland, she is a past vice president and eastern regional chairperson of the ISA.
Her 28 years of service to Tullamore Show, which incorporates the FBD national livestock show and attracts 60,000 s every year, was recognised in 2022 with a national Lifetime Achievement Award.
Minister of State Pippa presented her with the award at an annual banquet in Athlone which honours people for their years of service, dedication, commitment and organisational skills.
Michael Flanagan, the awards founder, said it was important to recognise people whose work benefits exhibitors and the show going public all over the country.
The Offaly woman, who is originally from east Clare, began her links with Tullamore Show as a steward in the cookery section in 1992 and went on to play a central role in the event’s growth and development.
Last year, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, announced an investment of one million euro to support 122 agricultural shows.
Work on organising these shows will begin shortly. These will be held over the summer and autumn with the new ISA president expected to attend many of the events, The Government has allocated total funding of over €4.3 million to the shows since 2018 to help them meet the costs of running their programmes which are at the heart of rural life.
Minister Humphreys said agricultural shows play a vital role in community life and raise awareness of the important role that agriculture plays in our 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,” she said Minister Humphreys said the Department, together with ISA, 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 event management and becoming more sustainable.
“I would like to acknowledge the ongoing efforts of the show committees, volunteers, sponsors, local businesses and local organisations that play a role in each of these shows. The shows would just not happen without their support,” she said.
