Welcome to History of the Show

It was the success of the National Ploughing Championships in Bandon in February 1950 that provided the impetus to revive the Show that had lapsed over many years. The clear vision of Bill Slattery, Harry Bateman, Sam Tanner, Sean Murphy, Pat Dinneen and others to put the profit proceeds of £1000 from the Ploughing Championships towards the revival. However in June 1952, the show had to be postponed due to Foot and Mouth in England, it was then put back to August, however there was no cattle exhibited at the Show.

As the years progressed the Show became firmly established but there were many Chairmen until Pat Dineen became Chairman in 1957, which he held for over 34 years, ably assisted by Sam Tanner. The Show Grounds were purchased in 1971 and Ascension Thursday became a permanent date. 

When William Slattery was Chairman of the Show, the show meetings were held in an upstairs room in the Munster Arms Hotel. No doubt William Slattery would have added a bit of glamour to the Agriculture Show. In it's first year, almost at it's inauguration, William Slattery and his wife hosted a dinner for the Officers of the Society in his house at Oaklands. William called it a "luncheon", he issued invitations and said he was holding it on Sunday 7th December 1952 in his home. In his invitation, he stated that it was a luncheon "to celebrate the successful revival of Bandon Show after a lapse of 40 years". Twenty three officers attended. The menu was elaborately planned to the extent that there was a section on it for the autographs of all the Officers. Originals of these menus which are signed by Officers that are now deceased are still in circulation in some of the households of whence these officers came from.

Rumour has it, as passed down by older members who are now deceased, that William Slattery's meetings were electrifying as much for the energy that was enthused by the Committee and the equal forthrightness of William Slattery.

Bandon Show was formed at a time and in an era when agriculture was the main industry in the country. As the years progressed, the Show became established in the Show Grounds at Castlebernard, as one of the main social events in the community. Ascension Thursday was "Bandon Show" day. Shops closed down in the afternoon and the townspeople had as much a place as the people from the country at their local Show. This tradition has not died, despite the phenomenal changes both socially and economically that have occurred and indeed continue to occur over the past half century