The Road To The Rosettes: Balmoral and Castlewellan Shows on TG4
Castlewellan and Balmoral Shows feature in a new six-part series of Beidh Aonach Amárach, beginning on Wednesday, March 4 on TG4 at 8.30pm.
Now in its fifth series, Beidh Aonach Amárach (there’s a fair tomorrow) shines a light on the skill, passion, and fierce competition at the heart of Ireland’s agricultural shows.
Throughout 2025, cameras and crews were on the road, capturing the dedication of competitors giving everything to be crowned Best in Show.
Ireland hosts over 120 agricultural shows each year, drawing thousands of competitors and spectators alike. This series takes viewers to six of Ireland's most colourful and competitive events: Bannow & Rathangan (Wexford), Castlewellan (Down), Clonmel (Tipperary), Balmoral (Antrim), Clonmany (Donegal), and Bridgetown (South East Clare).
From jam to cattle, jiving to sheep-shearing, we meet competitors, judges, and organisers whose commitment brings these vibrant traditions to life. Each show offers a window into rural life and the community spirit that underpins it. The series reveals the heart, heritage, and customs that have made Ireland’s country show an enduring and much-loved tradition.
The series kicks off in sunny Wexford at the Bannow & Rathangan Show, where 23-year-old Lily Celine returns to the canvas after a year away.
The second programme in the series on Wednesday 11 March at 8.30pm, features the Castlewellan Show in County Down, where 11-year-old Frankie from County Tyrone deals with a lively ram in the young handlers’ ring.
Anne Quinn steps into the baking tent with the help of her friend and expert rider Julie Donaghy Simpson. Craigavon's Julie is aiming to impress potential new clients with her performance in the equestrian ring. And based in Cullyhanna, South Armagh, Nóra proudly displays her intricate hand-knitted blankets for the first time.
For the third programme in the series, the racecourse is busy at the historic Clonmel Show in Tipperary. Niamh Melody hopes her Connemara pony Emerald can live up to her mother’s championship title, while Kilkenny-based dairy farmer Brian Roche guides three of his kids through the cattle ring. In Carlow, Ciara O’Connell passes on her passion for the centuries-old skill of side-saddle to her daughter Charlotte. And in Waterford, the Sheehy family juggle sheep, horses and a lively foal named Rocko, all chasing those prized rosettes.
Travelling back up north for the fourth programme in the series on Wednesday 25 March at 8.30pm, over 100,000 people flock to the Balmoral Show, one of Ireland's biggest agricultural events.
Twelve-year-old Laoise Clancy from Derry takes to the ring for her debut with pony Tessa, while the Rodgers family from Ballynahinch pin their hopes on bull Victor to impress buyers.
Students from Coláiste Feirste in West Belfast get their first taste of farm life, and Robert Wallace from Kinedale Donkeys balances behind-the-scenes work with showing off his much-loved animals.
High winds hit the coast at Clonmany Show in Donegal for the fifth programme, as the All-Ireland Sheep Shearing Championship is underway.
The series concludes in South East Clare, where the Bridgetown Show makes a triumphant comeback after a year away.
In Northern Ireland, watch on Sky: channel 163; Virgin Cable: channel 877; Freeview: channel 51. The series will also be available on the TG4 Player.