Preparations are almost complete as the Tullamore Show and the FBD National Livestock Show is set to return this Sunday (August 14) for the first time since 2019.

The show was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but returns this year with a full capacity of trade stands, food villages and the FBD National Livestock Show.

The Tullamore show takes place at the Butterfield Estate, Blueball, Co. Offaly, and will be officially opened by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue.

The Tullamore Show this year will include hundreds of trade stands and a food village, and visitors will hear from many musical acts that are planned throughout the day, including Olivia Douglas.

Events will also include the Irish Pig Society’s all-Ireland championships; poultry competitions; and classes for dogs including obedience classes and a class for the waggiest tail.

National Inventions at Tullamore Show will have seven classes this year including: Renewable energy; labour saving devices; student class; modification to farm machinery and farm equipment.

The Odlums‘ home baking championships, as well as the junior final of the all-Ireland home cook champion will take place at the new Odlums’ pavilion, which will be launched on the day.

Further things to see will include fashions shows in a dedicated arena; farm safety demonstrations; alpacas and their crias; horticulture; and art and photography, the organisers said.

The FBD National Livestock Show will feature classes in dairy, pedigree and commercial cattle, with a total prize fund of €175,000.

The livestock show will also see three new breeds of sheep take part for the first time: Blue Texel, Dassenkop and Spotted Dutch.

The show will also see pigs added to the programme, including the All-Ireland ‘Pig of the Year’ competition.

The pedigree section, including Limousin, Hereford, Simmental and Charolais breeds, will be showcased on the day. The aim is to encourage young people to carry on the tradition of showing cattle, so there will also be young members’ and handlers’ classes.

Commercial cattle boast five new classes:

The sheep section will include sheep shearing demonstrations; mental health talks by George Graham; and sheep dog demonstrations, the show organisers said.

New breeds – Bluefaced Leicester, Irish Dutch Spotted and Dassenkop – are being accommodated in the section, which has the biggest number of entries on record.