History Project
This year the Iverk Show is celebrating 190 years since the very first show was held in 1826. To celebrate the Show on the 27th August this year will have a History Project on display. Included will be old photographs, reports and catalogues.
The display will feature a recreation and animation of a tenant farming dwelling from 1826. FADO Productions from Waterford, who specialise in animating historical events, will construct a traditional stone cottage. A costumed family will tend to the animals, poultry and garden vegetables – cow and calf and hen and chickens. They will be cooking over an open fire and engage with the visitors to the show. This will be very informative and interactive.
The ‘Iverk Farming Society’ was formed on October 24th 1825 in Anthony’s Inn in Piltown, County Kilkenny. The surrounding area was called the Barony of Iverk, from whence came the name.
The Society was the idea of the 4th Earl of Bessborough. The family resided at Bessborough House, which is now Kildalton Agricultural College.
The intentions of the Society were the betterment of all the people of the Barony. There was a policy in Bessborough House of having a top class farm manager who played a major role in developing farming in the area.
In 1825/6 the Earl felt that farming was not efficient and there was no incentive for the local farmers to improve their lot. He instigated the first ‘Show’ with the challenge to local farmers to beat his farm manager in a number of farming disciplines putting up a small prize and giving the winner the honour of being challenged for the title the following year.
The improvement in farming methods that ensued are said to have had a big beneficial influence on the effects of the Irish Famine in 1847 in the locality. One of the claims of the time was that nobody died of hunger in this barony.
Silage was made for the Bessborough farm in 1922 and many other ideas came on stream and filtered into the local farming community.
The show was founded on the basis of being non-political and non-sectarian. It survived all hiccups and kept on improving through the 1800s and up to the war, when the war and foot and mouth disease forced a stoppage for a few years.
The RDS report of Irish Shows from 1836 and the Farmer’s Magazine in November 1844 is, at the moment, the earliest report on the show that we have. The judges’ reports were extremely satisfactory. They reported that the show of cattle was good but they were almost entirely the property of gentlemen and strong farmers, as the old Irish cow still retains her popularity in the district.
So this year’s show will be bigger and better than ever continuing the aims of its founders. An event not to be missed.
