Armagh County Agricultural Show 2021 cancelled

After months of deliberation, Armagh County Agricultural Show have announced this week that they will not be running the much loved County Show, which was to be held on June 12 this year.
Armagh County Agricultural Show have announced this week that they will not be running the much loved County Show, which was to be held on June 12Armagh County Agricultural Show have announced this week that they will not be running the much loved County Show, which was to be held on June 12
Armagh County Agricultural Show have announced this week that they will not be running the much loved County Show, which was to be held on June 12

The Show’s Chairman, George McCall, explained: “It is with a very heavy heart that we have taken this difficult decision, but with lockdown still in place and restrictions only slowly easing, we do not want to take the unnecessary risk of putting on a large event that may jeopardise the health of our community and the safety of our committee and volunteers.”

With hundreds of volunteers, competitors and traders, this one-day agricultural event welcomes over 15,000 visitors from across Ireland and further afield. George continued: “It takes several months of intense work to organise an event of this scale, but with the uncertainty of how long it will take to get back to some form of normality, it is just not possible to run the show this year.

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“We are deeply sorry for the disappointment this will cause, but we are sure everyone understands that protecting our community and visitors is our number one priority.”

The Armagh County Agricultural Show has been held in various locations and is one of the longest, running shows in Ireland with a report of one being held in the city of Armagh as far back as 1829. It has only been cancelled a handful of times - during each world war and for the first Foot and Mouth outbreak. The show has enjoyed a fantastic resurgence of support since moving to the beautiful grounds of Gosford Forest Park owned by the Armagh Banbridge and Craigavon Council.

With good road links from the North and South and extensive parking and interesting attractions, it a popular destination for families and the farming community on the second Saturday of June every year.

George added: “We certainly hope to celebrate our anniversary show next year and with a two year break behind us, we will all have something very exciting to look forward to and believe me it will be absolutely spectacular!”

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