Tullamore Show strutted its stuff yesterday with more than 30 helicopter landings and 55,000 people coming to the showgrounds for the event, writes Seán MacConnell in Tullamore
Six choppers were buzzing over the neat grounds of Charleville Castle where the event was held as the huge crowd clambered around the livestock, trade and other exhibitions. The event will also be remembered for the largest display of "petticoat power" seen in Irish agriculture so far.
Minister for Agriculture Mary Coughlan joined Freda Kinnarney, show secretary; Dorothy Lazenby, first woman chair of the National Show Association; Carmel Dawson, ICA president; Maireád McGuinness MEP and Olwyn Enright TD for a photograph.
Ms Kinnarney had earlier told the opening ceremony that women were taking over and that men were "all right to work with".
There were victories too for Claremorris woman Doreen Higgins, who walked off with the Best Dressed Lady prize and for Fermanagh contestant Eva Baxter, who was adjudged the Glamorous Granny of the show.
As for the men, they handled the car parking and judging which went on all day.
The weather was kind, but the marquees and bars were packed as patrons strained to watch the two main GAA games of the day, the draw between Laois and Mayo and the Kilkenny victory over Clare.
Watching the hurling, the crowd seemed to be equally divided between Clare and Kilkenny fans while outside, a singer whom the MC said had "more medals than Christy Ring", belted out the ballad of Bold Robert Emmet.
Surprisingly, there was a huge interest in the poultry tent which was packed with fowl of all kinds. No one seemed too worried about bird flu and of course, with all the big birds flying outside, no one seemed to be too worried about anything.