Remembering its roots: Ag Show celebrates landmark anniversary

80th anniversary this August.

Celebrating its 80th year in business this August, the Virginia Show has seen great success since its establishment in 1943.

Its success begs the question. How did the founders come up with a winning formula to set the annual show up for such success? And how has it remained one of the most anticipated shows on the busy summer farming calendar?

Standing in the Show Centre last week, Virginia man Pat Erickson shed some light on the query.

To do this he transports the Celt back to 1943, to a time when World War II had come to an end, and the most important of life's many questions remained on the minds of many.

For five or six farmers in the town, the burning question revolved around cattle, and whose were the best in the business.

“A woodwork class was going on above the courthouse in town and a lot of the farmers went back to a pub in the town and an argument started,” explained Pat.

The farmers decided there was only one way to settle the dispute.

“They said the best way to find out would be to run an agricultural show. So they went up to McDonald's field, which is now Ramor’s football field on the main road, and put on a show there for two years”.

While the winning heifer is long forgotten, the show’s success began an annual event for the south east Cavan town that has lasted a lifetime.

“Then eight or ten acres were for sale here and [the farmers] went and they bought it and built a dance hall in it, this is in 1944 or 45 times,” continued Pat.

Following it’s success, the farmers decided to develop the land further, investing in a building.

“They built a dance hall, the old farmers hall which was a famous place. If you weren’t out in the farmers hall on a Friday night, you weren’t out. It was the place to be,” Pat enthuses.

“It was going really, really well”, Pat he says, continuing his history lesson.

However, a big problem arose when the town was hit with an upsurge in migration.

“In the late 1950s there was huge emigration from the area, going to Australia and America, because there was no education”.

The Virginia man this in turn had a negative effect on the town and on the show as a result.

“The only schools about were in Kells or in St Pat’s in Cavan. So [the men] decided to build a school.”

The group of volunteers contacted the Department of Education, who were not as excited about the idea.

“They went to the Department of Education who said - you’ve a lake on one side of you, you’ve a forest, you’ll never get the students.”

However, the committee persevered and decided to build a school regardless.

“They spent £35,000 which was a fair scud of money. I think it was five or six of the farmers in the area who gave the deeds of their farm in as backing against the loan for the school. They built it up and there were I think 42 students there in the first year doing what you’d call the group cert. So there were 42 in it and there’s 900 odd in it at the minute, it's a big achievement.”

Since then, the show has continued to grow, enticing farmers from not just across Cavan bur far beyond to compete in various animal and crop competitions, the most famous of which is the annual Baileys' Cow Competition.

“The show kept growing and getting better and better, then in the early noughties we decided we needed to push on again and they built this place here. So we’re trying to keep it going. That’s the whistle stop history of it,” concludes Pat.

The Show Centre has continued as an integral part of the community, housing a range of classrooms, exhibition areas and of course their Olympic standard basketball court which houses Virginia’s triumphant team, the East Cavan Eagles.

From the Men’s Shed meetings, Zumba classes, drama groups, bat conservation groups and a whole lot more, the centre attracts a huge number of people to it daily.

However, the town eagerly await the annual return of the Virginia Show each August.

The next Virginia Agricultural Show is set to take place Wednesday August 23.