This year’s Newry Agricultural Show will take place on Saturday, June 29 on lands situated at Derrywilligan Road, Bessbrook and organisers have said that planning for the event is already underway.
This follows the recent annual general meeting (AGM) of the society, which saw Brian Lockhart re-elected to the position of chair.
Tommy Collins will, again, hold the position of society president in 2024. Both candidates were nominated unopposed.
Newry Agricultural Show committee
A packed meeting also saw a number of changes agreed to the organising team for the year ahead.
These include the selection of Rachael Greer as event manager and Hereford breeder, Marcus Murdock, as head of the cattle section.
Brian Lockhart commented: “Newry Show 2023 was a tremendous success. The combination of an excellent site, perfect weather and a host of top quality attractions combined to attract record crowds to the event.
“One of the standout features of last year was the fact that so many families came along on the day.
“Newry Agricultural Show plays an important role in profiling the farming and food industries that contribute so much to our catchment area. We want to build on all of this for the future.”
Location
Lockhart indicated that he was mindful of the fact that a new site for the 2023 show had to be found at short notice.
This was due to bovine tuberculosis (bTB) restrictions being imposed on lands previously used by the society.
He added: “We are indebted to the support provided by the Cartmill family in providing us with a new and very suitable location in such challenging circumstances.
“The good news, is that we will be returning to the site at Derrywilligan Road on June 29.”
Lockhart also mentioned the support received from sponsors and commercial exhibitors in 2023.
The society’s chair paid particular tribute to the work put in by Kenny Dodds over many years in his role as head of cattle section.
“Pressure of work means that Kenny has decided to step back from this position,” Lockhart explained.
“However, he will be available to provide ample support for Marcus Murdock, our new head of cattle section.”
This year’s Newry Show will feature a comprehensive range of cattle, sheep horse/pony, goat, pig, dog home industries and other classes, all projecting the farming and rural way-of-life in the Newry area.
Brian Lockhart concluded: “All relevant schedules and entry forms will be available on the society’s website over the coming days.
“The society will also be hosting a number of fundraising events over the coming weeks. These will include a ‘Saturday Breakfast’ and a pre-show quiz evening.
“Full information of these events will be made available on the Newry Show website, once final arrangements have been completed.”
