Attractions

With four or five Game or Country Fairs in Ireland sometimes people get confused about what is happening at which fair - including apparently some of the other organisers! Also some organisers, apparently unable to promote their own branding effectively, appear to want to 'tap into' our well established branding we thought it necessary to clarify why we organise the REAL Irish Game Fairs and why year after year our Fairs attract the largest number of competitors and the largest audiences.

Crowds at Shanes

Some Facts

FACT 1: The Great Game Fairs of Ireland - the award winning event at Shanes Castle and the now established event at Birr are organised by the most experienced organising team in the world. And the most experienced team in Ireland by far.

FACT 2: The competition prize structure at the 2007 Great Game Fairs of Ireland was the best ever seen at any Irish Game Fair and in 2008 we developed it through new All Ireland Game Fair All Comers Championships which attracted the largest number of international competitors ever. In 2009 these competitions with were extended with the launch of new Barbour All Ireland Game Fair Novice Championships and in 2010 we launch a new Redmills Five Nations International Terrier Championship ( qualifiers at Shanes and Birr and Final sat Birr) and a new All Ireland Game Fair Stickmaking Championships. We lead where others follow!

FACT 3: The Shanes Castle Fair Provides the largest single and most varied competitive Irish event for all kinds of dogs with: Ireland's largest Gundog Event including the Feedwell International Team and Individual Challenge – this year featuring a team from Holland; The Feedwell UGRC Dog & Gun team and Individual event; The IWS Club Minor breed events; The Massbrook Cocker and Springer Spaniel Event plus the NIGFSS Gundog, Terrier and Hound Group Show; Ireland's largest Terrier and Lurcher event - the 22nd All Ireland Terrier & Lurcher Championships (now two day with racing Saturday & Show Sunday); Dog Agility Show & Displays; The Horse and Hounds plus other displays and exhibits. In 2010 we are hosting the Barbour All Ireland Novice Game Fair Championship in Retriever handing plus a unique display by the Calor CLA International team under the captaincy of Willie Edgar, spaniel displays by Tim Crothers and gundog and problem dog handling displays from the inimitable Dog Guru, Keith Mathews.

FACT 4: The Clay Pigeon Shooting event at Shanes Castle at 2007 had the largest prize structure at any Irish Game Fair. For 2008 this was extended again and in 2009 when we hosted the All Ireland All Comers Game Fair Championship.

In 2010 Shanes hosts a qualifier for this championship at Birr and a qualifier and the final of the Barbour All Ireland Game Fair Novice Championships. The top prize for the Game Fair Champion at Shanes Castle is a Browning is a Beretta DT10 Shotgun value c £6,000 plus for the Shanes Castle Championship a Browning Cynergy Shotgun value c £2,000 plus masses of other valuable prizes.

FACT 5: The Angling section of the Fair at Shanes and the Casting competitions at Shanes Castle and Birr Castle (with Irish records being broken in 2007) have grown in stature every year and can now be viewed as one of the highlights of the Fairs and certainly superior to any other Irish Fair. Once again in 2010 there are superb cash and products prizes to be won sponsored by Hardy /Greys at Shanes Castle and White O'Morn at Birr Castle. Shanes Castle hosts a qualifier for the All Ireland Game Fair Championships and a qualifier and the final of the Barbour All Ireland Novice Game Fair Casting Championship.

In addition there are casting, and flytying displays and coaching from APGAI.

FACT 6: We have one of the most extensive and varied arena programme at any show in Ireland and unless something catastrophic happens the events we advertise will actually be there!

FACT 7: We have one of the largest areas of tented village of any show in Ireland with an extensive range of quality stands covering all the country sports and lifestyle areas. In 2010 we will have the largest Gunmakers Rows and Fisherman's Rows in Ireland and the smartest Fine Food & Crafts Pavilions.

FACT 8: We seek to not only entertain but to provide an educational facility and thus all the major sporting organisations will be there to give advice of the sports and we have the hugely entertaining and educational Living History and eco villages. The Living History Village is sponsored by Antrim Borough Council.

ATTRACTIONS

SHOOTING : Clay Shooting (Shanes Castle organised by Ballydugan Clay Pigeon Club) will host a heat of the All Ireland Game Fair Championships and a heat and the final of the Barbour Novice Championships on a new and extended layout beside the Castle. In addition there will be have a go air rifle, shooting games, archery and lazer shooting.

DOGS : Apart from the top competitions for all breeds of gundogs including hosting heats for the All Ireland Game Fair Gundog Handling Championships and heats and the final of the Barbour Novice Hadnling Championships. There will be a gundog scurry, and main arena gundog displays including one by the Irish CLA Team captained by Willie Edgar and sponsored by Calor. The Winners of the Sunday Life Pet Idol Competition will be presented with their prizes and a special treat for all dog owners – main arena displays and an advice facility on the Irish Countrysports and Country Life stand from Keith Mathews the BBC's famous dog whisperer.

The Dog Whisperer attracts big crowds

Plus New for 2010 is the Director's Gundog Challenge : A top Retriever handled by Nigel Carville will take on a top Spaniel handled by Willie Edgar in a head to head match on Sunday.

TERRIERS & LURCHERS: The Fair will host the 22nd Barbour/Irish Countrysports and Country Life All Ireland Terrier & Lurcher Championships with the best facilities offered to Terrier & Lurcher enthusiasts any where in Ireland including well prepared rings and a good race track. This year whippets are catered for and the show is a qualifier for the Championships at the Midland Fair. Plus the terrier championship is the Northern Ireland qualifier for the Five Nations International Terrier Championships with the final at Birr Castle. There will be terrier & lurcher displays in the main arena on both days

ANGLING : Under the capable direction of Stevie Munn this years angling events/exhibits include one of largest Fisherman's Rows ever mounted in Ireland with a fantastic range of tackle, boats and fishing holidays. Plus APGAI are having their own pavilion to give advice and instruction and demonstrate fly tying.

Stevie no mean tyer himself has been responsible for tying the 2009/10 Great Game Fairs of Ireland Fly.

Great Game Fairs of Ireland Fly

Glenda Powell will provide main ring demonstrations and a special coaching area where ladies and children are particularly welcome.

The Fair is also delighted to host a Gundog, Hound & Terrier Group Show, A Dog Agility Show, Ferret Racing and Displays; Carriage driving displays, the Irish Falconry Championships, ferretting and stickmaking displays; The World Of Owls Conservation display.

The Main Arena Programme

The main arena programme at Shanes Castle is always the most varied and action packed with the programme changing every half hour. It includes the very best of countrysports, medieval and other country lifestyle attractions (see the full programme on the website or in the special Belfast Telegraph supplement the week before the show.)

THE MEDIEVAL/LIVING HISTORY FESTIVAL
This is a real Living History festival and is not to be confused with "hyped up" copies at other events. This year the North Irish Dragoons with cannon, musketry and sabres, ' join the Elizabethan household of the Best of Times and the Worst of Times and their main arena display of pike and matchlock work; the 13C Irish Medieval Group from Finglas are putting on a display of Irish medieval life including some evil looking medieval recipes and making their first appearance at Shanes is the Magnus Viking Association with their long houses and long boats.

Vikings and Muskets

EQUESTRIAN
The Fairs have always had a good equestrian flavour and this year is no exception

Traditional Carriages

Obstacle Driving

On display will be the normal horse and hound displays plus both a traditional horse driven vehicle display and an exciting driving display over an obstacle course. If one adds in running horses and hackneys from the Budore Stud and some really special Western riding displays from the dancing horses of the Cochise Stud joined by legendary US horse whisperer Franklin Levinson, who has broken his European tour to fly in to join us.

Running Horses

The Cochise Stud
Cochise Stud was established by a partnership of Elke Christoph and Derek O'Byrne-White in 2000. Their plan was to establish a stud with difference with Native American breeds like the Quarter Horse, Appaloosa, American Paint Horse and the South American Paso Fino, the first recognised breed to come from the Western Hemisphere.

Cochise Horses

Not only are the breeds different at Cochise Stud, but also the riding and training style. Both Riding and training is all Western Inspired. Cochise stud offer lessons and trekking in Western on all pure bred American breeds, along with this Cochise Stud co-ordinate and present clinic presentations on Western Inspired Natural Horsemanship from Internationally acclaimed clinician's from Europe and US. (See WebPages www.cochisestud.com clinic schedule.)

In 2005 Trainer Derek O'Byrne-White entered the competition circuit with their Paso Finos. In 2006 won two European titles in Western Pleasure and Trail. In 2008 Derek trained Santana's Caroline to Reserve Western Pleasure title and the she is now placed 11th in Europe Performance Paso Fino. Plans for 2010 include for the first time to bring native bred Paso finos to the Europe championship in Germany.

One of Cochise Stud future plans are to establish a series of Western Inspired training clinic by world renowned clinicians from North America and main land Europe all with a proven track record. The first of these clinics will take place at Birr Game and Country Fair 22nd and 23rd August 2009 by World renowned Clinician from the USA Franklin Levinson.

Derek has provided superb main arena displays of fantastic horses control at Birr for the last two years and hopes to bring a new superb show which he calls 'Flaming Hooves' to Shanes Castle.

The Cochise Stud will also have their Western & Equestrian Tack Shop at both Fairs and you can get up close and personal with his four horses. For further information see www.cochisestud.com and in the arena with them and on their stand will be legendary US horse trainer Franklin Levinson see www.franklinlevinson.com

The Byerely Turk – One of the most Famous Horses of All Time

We are fortunate to have on display at Shanes Castle four equestrian paintings that we consider to be some of the finest ever produced by an artist in Ireland and paintings with an impeccable equestrian pedigree from the artist to the subject.

The Horse
These paintings are of a horse, the Byerley Turk, that not only played a great part in the development of the modern thoroughbred , being one of its three progenitors – the others were Godolphin Arabian and the Darley Arabian - but also having a particularly Irish connection.

The stallion is believed to have been captured by Captain Robert Byerley from a Turkish officer at the Battle of Buda (1686), served as Byerley's war horse when he was dispatched to Ireland in 1689 during King William's War and saw further military service in the Battle of the Boyne he is also reputed to have won the first ever recorded horse race in Northern Ireland. From his exertions in this campaign he was retired to an illustrious stud career.

His exploits are choncled in a number of books – most notably The Byerley Turk By Jeremy James and The Byerley Turk Three Centuries of the Tail Male Racing Lines by KM Haralambos

The Artist – Ester Barrett
Ester Barrett, 'one of Ireland's top contemporary equine artists' and winner of two international awards, has brought a new dimension to her work in her latest series of paintings based on the adventures of the warhorse and legendary stallion, the Byerley Turk.

Painting from the age of four and primarily drawn to depictions of the thoroughbred, her style has developed in tandem with her deepening understanding of the horse and his surroundings. The interplay between man and the horse is at its most unique in the functioning of the horse as warhorse. A nervous animal by disposition, the horse is trained to overcome this fear and sublimate it to one of obedience to his rider and a display of courage as he charges into battle with the smell of gun-smoke and the sound of battle-cries ringing in his ears.

From the Encampment Scene at Dundalk where Captain Byerley stands showing off this wonder horse captured from the Turks at the Battle of Buda in 1686 before he ventures south, to the standoff at the Boyne river between the Williamite and Jacobite forces, to the Charging into Battle scene where the thrill of the charge is tempered with the weighing up of the consequences, to the final large piece that is the Battle of Aughrim where the natural brown shades of the horse mix with the red of military uniform and blood in sharp contrast to the patches of bright blue sky, the writhing bodies of man and horse in dramatic contrast to the dark grey overhanging castle walls, the viewer is drawn into these bold composition pieces.

Explaining her motivation to carry our exhaustive research and incredible craftsmanship to produce these four great paintings Ester said "Having painted thoroughbred horses for the best part of 20 years, the idea of painting one of the three foundation sires of the modern thoroughbred was a very interesting one to me. It was suggested by Albert Titterington, a friend and promoter of our work in the North. Researching what I could on the Byerley Turk, starting at the Battles of Vienna(1683) and Buda in 1686 where he was captured by the British forces from the Turks, I felt I wanted to portray how he might have looked during his 2 years spent fighting in Ireland in such defining moments of our history in the Williamite wars.

The Encampment
The idea for the portrait pose with the day to day life of a military camp in the backround developed further after discussions with Dr Padraig Lenihan, author of The Battle Of The Boyne and military expert on 17th century warfare in Ireland.

The Byerley Turk

Overlooking the Boyne
As I travelled around the battle sites, I imagined how beautiful everything must have looked as Robert Byerley, Colonel of The 6th Dragoon Guards, led his troops down the steep slopes to cross the Boyne and engage in battle on a calm, sunny July morning.

Cavalry Charge
Having crossed the Boyne, Byerley charges the opposing army where the Turk horse's speed takes him swiftly into battle. In the backround the Oxford Blues on the right of picture and the King's Life guards descend the bank to the river.

The Aughrim painting depicts the far bloodier battle with a greater loss of life, both men and horses. The Byerley Turk horse was involved in one of the more decisive movements of the battle when late in the evening they thundered down the narrow pass and effectively ended the battle."

Ester's work will be on display at Shanes Castle and Birr Castle Game Fairs or can be viewed at her studio gallery in her home in Granagh, County Limerick where she resides with her parents, Maurice and Marie, and artist sisters, Ailbhe and Louise. They have an online gallery at www.threesistersart.com.

Dragoons

Something of the battle scenes of that period will be recreated by a fine mounted display featuring cannon. musketry and sabre work by the North Irish Dragoons and thus 2010 can justly be described as the "Year of the Horse" at the Shanes Castle event.

FALCONRY
As the front cover of the Irish Countrysports and Country Life magazine implies 'Birds of Prey' enthusiasts are in for a real treat at Shanes Castle. Firstly the renowned Liverpool wildlife artist, David Prescott, who painted the cover will be displaying not only a range of hawks and falcons but also a spectacular range of animal paintings www.davidprescottwildlife.com plus there are static displays of the 'real thing' by John Carmichael of the Northern Ireland School of Falconry and the World of Owls.

John Carmichael gives MP Jim Shannon a lesson in high flying

John Carmichael is rapidly gaining the reputation of providing one of the finest falconry displays to be seen in Ireland. He combines an unrivalled ability to communicate with his audience through audience participation with children with some of the best technical flying to be seen anywhere. John is flying birds better than at any time in his career and his display ain the town square at Newtownards and at Ballywalter were some of the best seen in Ireland for several years.

THE ECO VILLAGE
Although Fair Director Albert Titterington is best known for organising fairs, publishing, his overall involvement in countrysports and his period as an academic and marketing consultant, not many people know that Albert is a graduate biologist and someone with a lifelong interest in the conservation and preservation of the countryside. Albert has published several internationally acclaimed academic articles on such diverse green issues as green consumerism; food scares; organic food; recycling; environmental labelling; alternative energy etc.

In fact he has always espoused and promoted the concept of country sports, farming and conservation interests working in harmony for the preservation of the countryside and our planet. In fact both of the estates where the Great Game Fairs of Ireland are staged provide final living examples of how this harmonious relationship can work.

However in 2010 the two Great Game Fairs of Ireland are going even GREENER with the launch of complete sections focused on developing Ireland's most exciting green living events - ECO FAIRS & VILLAGES.

These exhibition and display areas will be dedicated tented villages sponsored by Eventus Marquees and North Down Marquees respectively, providing a "one stop shop" for all the products and services necessary to buy into a GREENER LIFESTYLE including: Sustainable Living, Home & Garden Design, Energy Saving Design, Renewable Energy, Recycling and Waste Management. It is intended that they provide not only an entertainment but educational facility.

The ECO FAIRS & VILLAGES will be supported by the implementation of greener and more environmentally friendly practices throughout the fair including energy generation, better recycling facilities for packaging and litter, green transport and encouraging greener travelling arrangements.

Miss Earth

A HUGE TENTED VILLAGE OF TRADE STANDS

The huge tented village of trade stands includes not only the largest display of guns and tackle in Northern Ireland but basically every kind of product for any member of the family to buy into the country lifestyle including Fine Food & Drinks.

Speaking of Fine Food & Drinks
This year new catering contractors have been employed to provide a wide range of food options at an affordable price ranging from burger & chips to succulent Hog Roast. In addition there will Game Cookery demonstrations provided by Peter McErlean of the Cuan Restaurant in Ardglass on the BASC.

As usual the Fine Food hall has a mass of succulent delicacies including honey and the bees that make it; the ladies from Mid Ireland Tourism and Shannon Development in their Georgian dress with all types of food, craft and holiday delights; the 'World's top Whiskey' Cooley will be there to give you a nip; and a vast range of cheeses; meats ; breads and other foods to tempt the most discriminating pallet. Pride of place in this pavilion must always go to Peter Gott one of the real 'Slow Food Heroes' with his Silfield Farm stand featuring his legendary Game Pies, venison sausages, and dry cured bacon although the ladies from Mid Ireland Tourism must run him a good second.

Peter Gott & The Ladies from Mid Ireland Tourism

The trade stand areas at both Birr and Shanes have also been extended with most of the old favourites in clothing, guns & tackle there. At Shanes a massive display of guns by Donal McCloy Guns Unlimited is part of a greatly extended Gunmakers Row' that will include – two displays of vintage weapons by the Edgar family and of John Rigby Guns by Walter Phelan.

Jack Pike the well known clothing and accessories company will be joining the Firefly Stand and sponsoring some facets of the show. Clarkes of Enniskillen will also be there with their unique representation in Ireland of the Schoffel brand as well as their fine range of tweeds and hats.

The Fisherman's Row has also been extended with a fine selection of rods, tackle boats and holidays. This will be supported by a Fly Tying Marquee and casting tuition by Glenda Powell and the team from APGAI.

Paul Morgan from coch y bondu books with probably the best range of shooting, fishing, gundogs, hunting and terrier & lurcher books in the UK will be a magnet for all you bibliophiles while other fascinating stands can be found in the Canine Row with everything for the dog. Anew exhibitor Bridport nets all the way from Dorset every kind of net imaginable and other equipment is well worth a visit.

Some of the latest 4x4 vehicles including the new diesel Subaru Forester will be on display, as well as the stand from Ireland Off Road Experience with advice on how to drive them. There will also be exhibits of classic cars including Landrovers. Moving up from 4 wheels there will be the chance to see and perhaps drive the Argocat.

The rest of the huge tented village of trade stands has everything to buy into the country lifestyle including country crafts, while the Game Keepers Area has one of the best Game Displays seen at any Fair and of course we have the ferreting stand of Ireland's Mr Ferret Tony Carinduff.

Most of these attractions will be replicated or even enhanced at the Irish Game & Country Fair, Birr Castle Co Offaly so why not treat you and your family to two great days out at Ireland's premier game fairs.

The Fair is supported by a number of very generous sponsors including the Belfast Telegraph, NITB & Antrim Borough Council.

For further details call: 028 (from ROI 048) 44615416 E: irishgamefair@btinternet.com www.irishgameandcountryfair.com www.countrysportsandcountrylife.com or see the Summer edition of the Countrysports and Country Life magazine in the shops now.

Ireland's Real Game Fairs