Freda Kinnarney.

Tullamore Show to feature on TG4 show

A popular TG4 series will feature Tullamore Show, the biggest one-day livestock show in Europe, this week.

Tullamore Show is a major planning and logistical operation for Freda Kinnarney, who is Secretary of the show and the FBD National Livestock Show.

Freda was born on the land and has spent a lifetime involved in every aspect of farming and agricultural life.

She features on the last programme in the series Beidh Aonach Amárach on TG4 on Thursday at 9.30pm.

One of seven children Freda says: “We would have been a close family, we all helped out on the farm, we all had our jobs to do, it was very much the typical upbringing.” Freda married PJ Kinnarney in 1977, they have three children who all now work in different parts of the country, while at the same time still with a strong connection to the land. Freda has covered almost every role in the Tullamore Show over the past 25 years. “It got to the stage that my work with the show was getting more demanding, and I had to decide was I staying with the show or continuing with my work life outside the show.”

Matt and Rita Goulding have been going to the show for about 20 years with their pedigree cattle.

Matt himself was a mechanical engineer. Rita is a primary school teacher. Matt is a cattle judge and judges at many major shows. This year he is judging at the West Kerry show but would say it isn’t as competitive as the Tullamore show which is one of the bigger shows. 
Unlike Matt, Rita is not from farming background but enjoys helping out particularly at the showing and enjoys preparing them for the shows. 

 

Diarmuid Ó Curraoin (pictured above) is 17 from Trim in Meath and will be doing his Leaving Cert next year. He has always been involved in farming as long as he can remember and hopes to go to agricultural college and afterwards an auctioneering qualification to enable to work at the marts. 
Preparing the Beltex for the show entails washing feet head and belly and clip around the neck. Some people like to spray them different colours, but Diarmuid prefers them natural snow white


The show also features Dog Breeders Martin and Mary Ó Donoghue from Tullamore.

The programme will be repeated on Monday at 5.30pm.