There was a big turnout of supporters for the All Ireland hurling final in Croke Park on the 22nd of August last. 40,000 fans flocked to the stadium to see Limerick and Cork fight it out for the Liam McCarthy Trophy. There was a lot of controversy on whether such a large crowd should have been allowed into the stadium. Some said that this could be a super spreader event for the coronavirus. Only time will tell. The good news is that 80% of the population that is over twelve years of age is now fully vaccinated, making Ireland one of the highest fully vaccinated countries in Europe. This should help in reducing the number of people falling seriously ill, should a large outbreak occur.
On foot of this, there is a strong case for having outdoor trade shows resuming, though that is unlikely this year, as it takes many months of planning and organising. Many of the annual shows decided to cancel months ago so there is no appetite for organisers to hold a rushed event this side of Christmas. BIGGA and the GCSAA will be holding their exhibitions in January and February 2022 respectively. The GCSAA has rebranded their show, which used to be known as the Golf Industry Show (GIS). From next year it will be known as The GCSAA Conference and Trade Show.
Don’t forget that there is our own Service Dealer Conference taking place on the 25th of November this year at the Double Tree by Hilton Oxford Belfry in England. I hope you can make it. Those attending will be representing all sectors of our industry – agricultural, domestic, sportsturf, forestry and lots more so there will be plenty to learn by being there.
I do feel for the entertainment industry as, at the moment, the maximum allowed into a concert hall or theatre, is fifty people. It must have been frustrating for the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin when it held its first live show on the 1st of August. This was the theatre’s first event in seventeen months, which was held on the same day as the Leinster hurling final, again, held in Croke Park, which is not too far away from the theatre. One tongue in cheek comment posted on social media went along the lines of “For the fifty people lucky enough to get tickets for tonight’s show it is advisable that you leave home early to avoid the heavy traffic from the 25,000 people travelling home from today’s Leinster Final”. That sums up the frustration among those that feel more restricted than others.
Thankfully many of our showrooms are now open and allowing customers to come in and browse around. Sales are brisk and the future looks bright. There is a sense of normality even if that means talking through face masks and shields.
To finish off I would urge you to encourage machinery safety to your customers. We are in the middle of harvest season and sports pitch maintenance. There are lots of machines in operation. Our industry has the opportunity to reduce the number of fatalities on farms and the workplace.
