A link to the first Show Day
Amongst the guests of honour at last week’s Virginia Show was Kathleen Keogan.
Dressed in royal blue Kathleen is a picture of calmness as she sits at the window of the media room overlooking the excitement of the sheep pens below. She’s seen it all before, many, many times.
Kathleen’s waiting for a call from show stalwart Jim George Farrelly which will be her cue to go down to present the Paddy Keogan Memorial Cup to the winner of the champion pedigree sheep competition.
By the time the Celt speaks to her she’s already presented a cup in the horse section.
Kathleen requests the Celt not to print her age, but confides, “There’s only one person older than me in the doctor’s practise.”
Originally from Kingscourt, Kathleen met Paddy at a party in Kilmainhamwood held for one of his cousins. Married in June 1959, the couple reared six children, five boys and a girl at Paddy’s home farm in Aughalion, near Ballyjamesduff.
Paddy was a founding member of this wonderful old show. A sheep and cattle farmer, it was natural he would run the sheep section for many years as chief steward.
Asked what the show meant to Paddy, Kathleen replies, “It meant a lot.”
They relished bringing their children to the Show each year.
Sadly Kathleen suffered the loss of two sons, John from a congenital heart condition in 1991 at age just 27, and Gerard on Christmas Day 2015 to cancer.
With Paddy’s passing 14 years ago, she reflects on how returning to Virginia on Show Day without him was initially tough.
“It was tough in the beginning after Paddy died, but it gets less difficult. You have to come to terms with these things.”
Bloodlines
She loves how the bloodlines of the original founding members, continue to be detected amongst the Show committee of today.
“The generations down from the founding members, they all seem to be involved, and they’re all hard workers - that’s the main thing,” observes Kathleen.
Kathleen’s son Paul, who run the homefarm in Aughalion, keeps the proud Keogan name active in Virginia Show.
“He’s the Master Steward in the horses. Even Paul’s son, David, he lives in Kildare, he comes down and he does stewarding as well.” Another son, Justin, does the photography in the horse section.
Gazing out across the thousands in the showgrounds, Kathleen says she still enjoys the big day.
“I do, it can be tiring by the time you go around the hall and meet people.”
Asked for her favourite section, she opts for the livestock.
“Horses I’m afraid, but I like them all. I like the sheep too.”