18 June 2017, 7pm
By Bryan T. Smyth
bryan@TheCork.ie
Sophia and Mairead Perez of Ballincollig enjoy the sun pictured at the Cork Summer Show 2017
Picture Clare Keogh
With temperatures up to 26 degrees in Cork, Munster Agricultural Society enjoyed record numbers for the Cork Summer Show 2017. It is estimated that 27,000 people attended the show on Saturday and a further 33,000 attended on Sunday. An exact figure should be available later as all entrants were required to use a ticket of some form.
Cork Summer Show, sponsored by Cork County Council, is the largest show in Munster and has been running for over 200 years. This year’s highlights included a Ford Vintage Factory Recall which saw more than 300 vintage Ford cars, vans and tractors gathering at the original Ford factor site, and travelling in convoy to the Cork Summer Show, at the Curraheen showgrounds to mark Ford’s 100 years in Cork.
Crowds came from all over the county, but also from locations all over the country to participate in the National Agricultural competitions across cattle, sheep, goats and horse breeding. Families enjoyed the farming competitions, festival atmosphere with music and entertainment, as well as Taste Cork demonstrations, Pet Dog shows, gardening, machinery and motoring, and over 275 retail stands and a huge farmers market.
Karen Wright of Kinsale who came sceond as best dressed lady pictured at the Cork Summer Show 2017
Picture Clare Keogh
Picture looking north shows Northside of Cork City (hills) in background, with the Cork Summer Show in the foreground
“This year’s Cork Summer Show has been a tremendous success, in no small part due to the good weather. The show is a family favourite though, and with such fantastic entertainment, fun, food and farming, it is a really great event to attend for every age. We were delighted to share the best of Ireland’s agricultural heritage with the large crowds that came this year, and look forward to welcoming them again next year on 15th and 16 June 2018,” said Gerard Murphy, Munster Agricultural Society Chairman and Cork Summer Show organizer.
The Chairman also paid tribute to the working committees of the Society and over 250 volunteers and employees, whose work effort ensures the success of the show each year.
