EXCLUSIVE: Coleraine Show is axed for financial reasons

The 63rd annual show was due to be staged at its traditional home, Coleraine Showgrounds, on Saturday, June 12.

However last night, the Show Committee Chairman, John Adams, confirmed that the spectacle would not be run again due to financial reasons.

"The show will not be going ahead this year," he said.

"There are plans to hold a horse gymkhana on the Saturday and the Young Farmers will have a Sports Day on the Friday night but the show itself will not go ahead.

"I don't think the show will be held again. The downturn in business with workers being laid off locally has meant that it has got harder and harder to ask local businesses for sponsorship to run the show.

"It's a pity that we were not getting the support of the local borough or the farming community. In many senses we were running the show just for the sake of it."

John said that it took around 9,000 to 10,000 to run the show each year - but financial support had simply dried up.

"The other problem was that Coleraine Showgrounds wasn't really big enough for the show and we were limited in ground space. There was no room to expand the show.

"There are no plans to run the show in Coleraine again but there is talk of a county show, maybe with Limavady Show on board and bringing together all the Young Farmers' Clubs in the county. Coleraine would not be one of the venues for it."

Held for the past 60 years, Coleraine Show was traditionally a day when the rural community came to town.

The spectacle featured show classes for cattle, horses and sheep as well as a home industries section and classes for children.

The future of the show has been in doubt since the turn of the decade. The show was not held in 2001 due to the foot and mouth scare and was also cancelled last year due to a lack of funding.

John added: "I have been chairman for four years and would thank everyone in the committee who supported me during that time."

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