Up to 60,000 attend Cork Summer Show

The weather was great and so was the atmosphere as the long-running Cork Summer Show brought something special to the Cork Showgrounds in Curraheen last weekend.

The event, organised by the Munster Agricultural Society (MAS) saw up to 60,000 people attend over two days. One of Ireland’s greatest agricultural shows, it featured a spectacular food fair, outdoor and indoor markets and almost 5 acres of marquees with retail, arts, crafts, music, and family friendly entertainment.

“The atmosphere was simply magical throughout the weekend. We are absolutely delighted with this year’s show and seeing one of Cork’s great traditions going from strength-to-strength,” said Robert Harkin, President of the Munster Agricultural Society.

He thanked all the volunteers and everyone who attended for making the event so special. “It is a real testament to all of those involved in planning, organising, and running the show.”

Visitors to this year’s Cork Summer Show were in for a real musical treat at the fantastic rustic main stage, with its now famous strawbale seating. Performers included critically acclaimed Cork artists Jack O’Rourke and Clare Sands and the legendary Newry outfit The 4 of Us.

Cork roots band Two Time Polka, Havana Club and the big brass band sounds of Code of Behaviour kept crowds entertained.

The stage also played host to the remarkable talents of Tallest Smallest Theatre company and street entertainer Goyo.

There was a focus on sustainability at this year’s show, with several initiatives including a special Refill mobile rehydration station supported by Cork County Council. The station allowed visitors to the show to refill their own water containers, and reusable containers were provided which can be kept for life.

Segregated bins were provided across the site, allowing visitors to place organics, recyclables, and general waste into separate bins to make waste recovery more effective.

The show was also accessible by public transport, thanks to a special extension of the 208 bus route, thanks to Bus Eireann.

“It was fantastic to see so many people actively engaging with these initiatives and helping to make the Cork Summer Show more sustainable. We were hugely impressed to see the level of enthusiasm from the public and it played an important role in helping our teams to keep the Cork Showgrounds in pristine condition,” explained Munster Agricultural Society President Robert Harkin.

This year’s Cork Summer Show also saw the launch of an exciting collaboration between the MAS and University College Cork.

The announcement was made by an Tánaiste Micheál Martin at the opening of the Cork Summer Show on Saturday.

Building on a legacy of cooperation with UCC that can be traced back to the foundation of the university, the society will make a philanthropic donation of €375,000 to the Cork University Foundation, to provide for the development of a Farmland Biodiversity Education and Research Programme within agricultural science at UCC.

As part of the project, the Munster Agricultural Society will also loan a two acre research site to UCC for plot-based research in soil and grassland science. This builds on the strong legacy of agricultural education and collaboration between UCC and MAS in the region.

Planning for the Cork Summer Show 2024 beings soon and the team at MAS encourages anyone who would like to get involved in the show’s wide range of competitions, as an exhibitor or as a community group, to get in touch on 021-4801919 or by email at info@corksummershow.com.