Ballinlough Game Fair, Co Westmeath

[true countryman 0]

See the lurcher and terrier categories up on the Ballinlough Game Fair website. Looks like a great line up - see categories for Whippets and Bull Cross as well. Sunday appears to be the big day! Looking forward to that one.

["the spainard" 4]

See the lurcher and terrier categories up on the Ballinlough Game Fair website. Looks like a great line up - see categories for Whippets and Bull Cross as well. Sunday appears to be the big day! Looking forward to that one.

Glad to see they have included a bull cross class.

[spiderfly 111]

lads will their be a camp site their...?????

[true countryman 0]

Anyone staying overnight or for the weekend at Ballinlough? Can you recommend a few good spots to stay where the food and craic might be good?

[spiderfly 111]

Anyone staying overnight or for the weekend at Ballinlough? Can you recommend a few good spots to stay where the food and craic might be good?

 

is their a camp site their lads

[TomW42 0]

See the lurcher and terrier categories up on the Ballinlough Game Fair website. Looks like a great line up - see categories for Whippets and Bull Cross as well. Sunday appears to be the big day! Looking forward to that one.

 

I see you TC aare still doing a promotion job for Bill & Derek - What prizes are there for this great line up of Terrier & Lurchers? There doesn't appear to be much information up about that!

[true countryman 0]

See the lurcher and terrier categories up on the Ballinlough Game Fair website. Looks like a great line up - see categories for Whippets and Bull Cross as well. Sunday appears to be the big day! Looking forward to that one.

 

I see you TC aare still doing a promotion job for Bill & Derek - What prizes are there for this great line up of Terrier & Lurchers? There doesn't appear to be much information up about that!

If you are stuck for idea's for Birr I am sure you could always contact Bill or Derek. I don't see them on the forums here needing tips from you!

 

As I have said before, as someone who works lurchers & terriers, I am more concerned about retaining our sport for the future and I will encourage those who are putting effort in to doing the same. If this is your attitude then I don't really know what you bring to the table for our sport and I feel totally justified in supporting those who keep their head down and get on with it rather than repeatedly spouting the same old, same old!

[micheal rennicks 17]

not lot places to stay round the castle,but athboy is close kells,delvin,clonmellon.there is motorbike racing on same weekend about 15 minutes from the show.so lot places could be booked up.traffic will be mad coming down thru kells,i'd advise anyone coming from the north go thru navan then go thru athboy.say should be well signposted from athboy.15 mins get you there from town.

[AlbertJ 569]

See the lurcher and terrier categories up on the Ballinlough Game Fair website. Looks like a great line up - see categories for Whippets and Bull Cross as well. Sunday appears to be the big day! Looking forward to that one.

 

I see you TC aare still doing a promotion job for Bill & Derek - What prizes are there for this great line up of Terrier & Lurchers? There doesn't appear to be much information up about that!

If you are stuck for idea's for Birr I am sure you could always contact Bill or Derek. I don't see them on the forums here needing tips from you!

 

As I have said before, as someone who works lurchers & terriers, I am more concerned about retaining our sport for the future and I will encourage those who are putting effort in to doing the same. If this is your attitude then I don't really know what you bring to the table for our sport and I feel totally justified in supporting those who keep their head down and get on with it rather than repeatedly spouting the same old, same old!

 

Hi TC,

When Tommy told me about this I had to smile. It appears you think I appear as him as my "Alter Ego". As I said to you in my other response I don't need to hide behind an alias to make my points and I asked you if you had any points to make to debate them with me man to man. I make any points I wish through my magazine column and the fact that I and my colleagues have run the best Game and Country Fairs in Ireland for over 30 years with innovations every year should demonstrate that we know what we are about and don't need lessons from guys who appear to copy what we do.

 

Well what can I say about your suggestion to speak to Derek and Bill about ideas for our shows:

 

1. How to create a show with a mud heap of a car park . Think I'll pass on that one! I always plan for bad weather and hope for good including putting in permanent roads at our shows at Birr and Shanes.

2. How to hide Terriers & Lurchers away in a muddy side field. Think I'll pass on that too!

3. How to reduce the gundog section of the Fair with only North /South Teams. Pass on that too!

4. How to for two years have poor clay layouts with even poorer crowds. Pass on that too!

5. How to get beaten for the NITB Tourism Award when competing with Shanes. Pass!

6. How to advertise a Medievalfest. Oh they copied that from me!

7. How to deliver a Medieval Fest this year. Oh sorry they didn't.

8. How to organise a show on playing fields in a public park. No I think I prefer a proper estate.

9. How to have only two small gundealers instead of one a proper gunmakers row. No, I think I prefer 130 feet of gunmakers row.

10. How to run a gundog test with the backdrop of a housing estate. No, I think the public and teams would prefer to run at Shanes and view the tests from the grandeur of the battlements.

11. How to have a gundog test without a meanungful water retrieve. No, I think I will stick with Lough Neagh.

12. How to advertise over 200 stands which people had difficulty in counting. No think I'll stick with having nearly 200 real stands.

13. How to have a main arena programme limited to about 6/7 acts. No I think I'll go with what I have.

14. How to put virtually no money into the sporting events. No, think I'll continue to keep our prizes the best in the country and as good as any in the UK.

15. How to claim other events are flagging and then have to look in the mirror. No , think I will continue to try to break recods as we did at Shanes. Record no of exhibitors; record sponsorship; record publicity for country sports and record c rowds who know the best show in Ireland.

 

Need I go on. Virtually every event and exhibition Derek and Bill have was copied from our events with probably the exception of the planes which I don't want.

 

To be fair I have always said they run a decent fair at an unpromising venue, with a good collection of craft stands and I am flattered by the way they appear to copy much of what we do. But in terms of running Fairs they appear to have a lot to learn from our team's efforts.

 

I note that you claimed that the Ballinlough show had a great range of terrier and lurcher events . Why have you not answered Tommy's question about the prize fund. A list of classes does not make a great show. The entrants and prizes do!

 

Albert J Titterington

[neil cooney 10,416]

Ah but Albert, Balinlough is a proven venue and the fact that an awful lot of the fieldsport/ hunting fraternity of Ireland know that the competitive side of things will be ran fairly means that a it will be a well supported show. Weather permiting.

[true countryman 0]

Ah but Albert, Balinlough is a proven venue and the fact that an awful lot of the fieldsport/ hunting fraternity of Ireland know that the competitive side of things will be ran fairly means that a it will be a well supported show. Weather permiting.

Here! Here! I always tried to attend and support all shows north and south, for the good of working lurchers and terriers and all things shooting etc but I can tell you with the content of posts over the last month by Albert J and/or TomW42 (from Shanes and Birr), I know where my loyalty will lie in the future and it certainly will no longer be either Shanes or Birr. It looks to me like anyone that mentions anything about Moira, or indeed Ballinlough, must be involved in organising it. Paranoid or what?

[true countryman 0]

See the lurcher and terrier categories up on the Ballinlough Game Fair website. Looks like a great line up - see categories for Whippets and Bull Cross as well. Sunday appears to be the big day! Looking forward to that one.

 

I see you TC aare still doing a promotion job for Bill & Derek - What prizes are there for this great line up of Terrier & Lurchers? There doesn't appear to be much information up about that!

If you are stuck for idea's for Birr I am sure you could always contact Bill or Derek. I don't see them on the forums here needing tips from you!

 

As I have said before, as someone who works lurchers & terriers, I am more concerned about retaining our sport for the future and I will encourage those who are putting effort in to doing the same. If this is your attitude then I don't really know what you bring to the table for our sport and I feel totally justified in supporting those who keep their head down and get on with it rather than repeatedly spouting the same old, same old!

 

Hi TC,

When Tommy told me about this I had to smile. It appears you think I appear as him as my "Alter Ego". As I said to you in my other response I don't need to hide behind an alias to make my points and I asked you if you had any points to make to debate them with me man to man. I make any points I wish through my magazine column and the fact that I and my colleagues have run the best Game and Country Fairs in Ireland for over 30 years with innovations every year should demonstrate that we know what we are about and don't need lessons from guys who appear to copy what we do.

 

Well what can I say about your suggestion to speak to Derek and Bill about ideas for our shows:

 

1. How to create a show with a mud heap of a car park . Think I'll pass on that one! I always plan for bad weather and hope for good including putting in permanent roads at our shows at Birr and Shanes.

2. How to hide Terriers & Lurchers away in a muddy side field. Think I'll pass on that too!

3. How to reduce the gundog section of the Fair with only North /South Teams. Pass on that too!

4. How to for two years have poor clay layouts with even poorer crowds. Pass on that too!

5. How to get beaten for the NITB Tourism Award when competing with Shanes. Pass!

6. How to advertise a Medievalfest. Oh they copied that from me!

7. How to deliver a Medieval Fest this year. Oh sorry they didn't.

8. How to organise a show on playing fields in a public park. No I think I prefer a proper estate.

9. How to have only two small gundealers instead of one a proper gunmakers row. No, I think I prefer 130 feet of gunmakers row.

10. How to run a gundog test with the backdrop of a housing estate. No, I think the public and teams would prefer to run at Shanes and view the tests from the grandeur of the battlements.

11. How to have a gundog test without a meanungful water retrieve. No, I think I will stick with Lough Neagh.

12. How to advertise over 200 stands which people had difficulty in counting. No think I'll stick with having nearly 200 real stands.

13. How to have a main arena programme limited to about 6/7 acts. No I think I'll go with what I have.

14. How to put virtually no money into the sporting events. No, think I'll continue to keep our prizes the best in the country and as good as any in the UK.

15. How to claim other events are flagging and then have to look in the mirror. No , think I will continue to try to break recods as we did at Shanes. Record no of exhibitors; record sponsorship; record publicity for country sports and record c rowds who know the best show in Ireland.

 

Need I go on. Virtually every event and exhibition Derek and Bill have was copied from our events with probably the exception of the planes which I don't want.

 

To be fair I have always said they run a decent fair at an unpromising venue, with a good collection of craft stands and I am flattered by the way they appear to copy much of what we do. But in terms of running Fairs they appear to have a lot to learn from our team's efforts.

 

I note that you claimed that the Ballinlough show had a great range of terrier and lurcher events . Why have you not answered Tommy's question about the prize fund. A list of classes does not make a great show. The entrants and prizes do!

 

Albert J Titterington

To confirm I am not one of the organisers of Moira but I certainly IMO can say the following to the points above as a PAST visitor to Shanes:

 

1 My car and I have left MANY a muddy Shanes Game Fair in the past.

2 My WORKING dogs work in the fields not on show in Main Arena's.

3 Don't recall Shanes EVER getting gundog teams from as far afield as the States.

4 A bad year in one discipline at a large game fair is not a criminal offence - MANY years of just ticking by as an

average show until the threat of Moira - well what can I say!

5 Really can't understand this one myself as the number of visitors to both shows don't appear to stack up against who

won the award.

6 Hardly think Shanes were the first ever show to come up with some Medieval demonstrations. Wouldn't flatter

yourselves on that score.

7 Maybe a closer look would help - Medieval was not on any advertising for Moira that I ever seen for this year -

but is for Ballinlough.

8 With such a well presented fair I doubt anyone noticed it was in a Public Park, even less cared! When I go to a Game

Fair I don't dwell on the setting but rather on what is on offer - but then who am I - only the paying public!

9 130ft filled with what? Correct me if I am wrong but having been at all 3 fairs to date this year I can't recall seeing

any more gun dealers at Shanes than at the others.

10 Well, I don't really follow gundogs but didn't hear that any of them say they missed the grandeur of the battlements!

11 Perhaps I will concede one point or it will look bad!

12 OK, you've got me - where were the rest of the stands hidden? I am not the only one who didn't count 200!

13 Well it's not the number of main arena acts that count - its the quality!

 

Ahhhh - I'm now bored - need I say any more!!

[twiggy 12]

it took us over a half to drive out of shanes on the road

[Guest madra rua]

Ah but Albert, Balinlough is a proven venue and the fact that an awful lot of the fieldsport/ hunting fraternity of Ireland know that the competitive side of things will be ran fairly means that a it will be a well supported show. Weather permiting.

as neil well knows when there was a terrier federation trying to get going in this country for the protection and promotion of terrier work birr gave us a stand off the beaten track as if they were ashamed of us the club failed in the end but will we reget it

[Story Man 0]

Guys

 

Have a look on the website for the National Country Fair on the links page.

 

There are B&Bs and hotels listed there. The going rate is anout €40 for B&B

 

Bill tells me the place to be on the Friday and Saturday night is Isaac's Well in Clonmellon. All the acts from the fair will be there for the Craic.

 

Read that other dribble from Albert J. Get a life man, people are trying to promote field sports here not score cheap points. Go somewhere else if you have nothing positive to contribute

 

I read your magazine, by the way. Looks like it's all about you and and how fantastic you are. Great I say, if that turns you on.

 

Afraid it just don't cut the mustard for me though!

 

SM