Nenagh's Brendan Murphy re-elected as chair of North Tipperary Agricultural Show

Tipperary man Brendan Murphy has been re-elected as chairperson of North Tipperary Agricultural Show for the third year running.

The show, one of the oldest and biggest in the country, is held at the Showgrounds, Nenagh, every August Bank Holiday Monday.

It was a great honour and privilege to have been re-elected as Chairperson of the North Tipperary Agricultural Show for the third year,” said Mr Murphy, who hails from Nenagh.

He said that 2022 saw the return of the annual show after a two-year absence due to Covid-19 and although they did record a special video or virtual show in 2021 it could never come close to the feelings they all share on show day.

“We had an exceptionally good show in 2022 and despite the two-year gap the committee were quick to shake off the dust and get their shoulder to the wheel to ensure everything went to plan,” he said.

Mr Murphy admitted that he had no idea what he was letting myself in for when he was elected and accepted the role back in 2020.

He had been involved on the committee in the years leading up to that but never really got much of an insight to the extent of the workload involved in the running of the entire show as he was always busy organising the Classic Car section with his own committee in the Nenagh Classic Car Club.

The chairperson said that he had “got away lightly” in 2021 with the virtual show but reality hit in 2022 when they got the go ahead that our show could take place following the removal of Covid-19 restrictions.

“I finally got to experience what it was like to be the chairperson of one of the oldest and best shows in the country,” he said.

Mr Murphy said that he “would be lying” if he said he wasn’t “terrified and totally out of my comfort zone”.

However, he quickly realised he had nothing to fear when he had such an amazing and hardworking committee by his side.

“Each person on the show committee plays such a vital role in making the show a success and this is how this show has survived the test of time since it was first established in 1875.

“The show has such a rich history not only in Nenagh but in the whole of Tipperary with generations of families returning to the show each year in keeping with their family tradition,” said Mr Murphy.

With the first show under his belt, he said that he was privileged to have a chance to again chair this year’s show,” a little wiser and more confident knowing what is involved”.

Last year, he had hoped to add some attractions to the show to appeal to a wider audience and attract people to the show that would not normally attend.

“I feel we certainly struck a chord and are on the right track as we look to build on this fantastic show all while retaining the
traditional values and heritage of the show,” he said.

Mr Murphy appealed to anyone that would like to get involved in the show, either on the committee or even just on the day, to get in touch as the door was always open to anyone who would like to join the fantastic team at the North Tipperary Agricultural Show.

You can contact Mr Murphy on 085-1387114.