Young Trim sheep farmer features on TG4's 'Beidh Aonach Amárach'

The TG4 series, 'Beidh Aonach Amárach' finished tomorrow night with a visit to Tullamore Show, the biggest one-day livestock show in Europe.

It's a major planning and logistical operation for Freda Kinnarney making sure it all goes smoothly. Matt and Rita Goulding have travelled from Ballyduff, County Kerry with their pedigree cattle; for the Beltex sheep event Diarmuid Ó Curraoin has come from Meath and locals Martin and Mary O'Donoghue share their expertise in the dog categories.
 
The secretary of Tullamore Show and the FBD National Livestock Show Freda Kinnarney was born on the land and has spent a lifetime involved in every aspect of farming and agricultural life.

One of seven children, Freda says: “We would have been a close family, we all helped out on the farm, we all had our jobs to do, it was very much the typical upbringing.”

Freda married PJ Kinnarney in 1977, they have three children who all now work in different parts of the country, while at the same time still with a strong connection to the land. Freda has covered almost every role in the Tullamore Show over the past 25 years.

“It got to the stage that my work with the show was getting more demanding, and I had to decide was I staying with the show or continuing with my work life outside the show.”
 
Matt and Rita Goulding have been going to the show for about 20 years.  Matt himself was a mechanical engineer. Rita is a primary school teacher.  Matt is a cattle judge and judges at many major shows.  This year he is judging at the West Kerry show but would say it isn’t as competitive as the Tullamore show which is one of the bigger shows. 

Unlike Matt, Rita is not from farming background but enjoys helping out particularly at the showing and enjoys preparing them for the shows.  
 
Diarmuid Ó Curraoin from Trim is 17 and will be doing his Leaving Certificate next year.  He has always been involved in farming as long as he can remember and hopes to go to agricultural college and afterwards an auctioneering qualification to enable to work at the marts. 
The family has about 150 sheep, Beltex Rams, Suffolks and Charolais and about 70 Suckler Cows.  Lambing generally takes place end of February/April for the commercials and it depends on the Beltex. . 
Preparing the Beltex for the show would entail washing feet head and belly and clip around the neck.  Some people like to spray them different colours, but he prefers them natural snow white. 
 
The show also features dog breeders Martin and Mary Ó Donoghue from Tullamore. 

See a preview: https://grabyo.com/g/v/MGKiljYfZdb

TG4 14th February 9.30pm
(repeated Monday 5.30pm)