“You could be getting any job at Virginia Show'

Aaron McPhillips is part of a young generation bringing renewed impetus to the grand old tradition of the Virginia Show.

When the many thousands pour through the gates of the Showgrounds this morning, Aaron will be alongside his Dad, Peter, busy making sure the sheep competitions run as smoothly as possible.

“Dad is the chief steward of the sheep, Jim George Farrelly was the chief steward - he was a great steward, but he retired there - he still turns up on Show Day to help out,” says Aaron.

The sheep section is natural fit for Aaron, as sheep are his passion. His Whatsapp icon is a picture of him showing a ram in Meath.

“He won in Trim that time, he was the overall Texel champion,” Aaron happily recalls. But it isn’t his best success.

“I won the North East Texel championship with another ram - the same year, 2023.”

The 22-year-old helps out at the home farm on the outskirts of Ballyjamesduff where his father and uncle run the enterprise in partnership - suckler, beef and commercial sheep and pedigree sheep; and they kill under 16 month bulls.

Aaron also farms full time in Ballinlough where he is also learning the butchering craft.

“I’m there a year in November. I go in Wednesdays and Thursdays prepping for markets, and I’m learning to do the butchering trade. It’s great.”

He will be absent from Ballinlough this Wednesday however as he’s on Virginia Show duty; it’s an intrinsic part of his life.

“Going back to the start, my grandfather was in the Virginia Show - he was the first person from the family to be in it,” recalls Aaron.

His maternal grandfather was the late John Sheridan, he brought Aaron’s mam, Anne into the Virginia Show fold, and when she met her husband, Peter McPhillips, of course he was enlisted too. So it was only natural for Aaron to fall into the Virginia swing of things from an early age.

“That’s how it really started and I was going to the Show with Dad to help set up, and showing on Show Day and then when I came 21 they voted me in on the Show committee.”

As a youngster he was free to enjoy the countless other attractions that bring such colour to Show Day.

“You go around to see lots of different things between sheep, horses, cattle, amusements, different stalls. There’s an O’Neill’s tent, I’d say that’s where most of the kids go every year - to buy a jersey. There’s that much to see in Virginia, it’s great day of a Wednesday.”

While there’s an air of busy professionalism amongst the stewards on Show Day, the greatest part of the work is done in the run up.

“Leading up to Show Day there’s lots to be done - we go in on either the Saturday or Sunday and get the sheep rings and sheep pens all up, put up a tent in the sheep. On Monday and Tuesday before the Show it’s hectic, getting cattle rings ready, getting tents ready and setting up the hall for the vegetables and all that - the Baileys Cow is a big attraction, and Patrick Gaynor and them will be setting that up in the Show Centre.

“You could be getting any job at Virginia Show,” he says in a tone that suggests he wouldn’t want it any other way.

While Aaron helps with the sheep stewarding, he will also be quietly hopeful of coming away from Virginia with a rosette or two.

“We bring a few sheep to show as help support it as well as helping run it - a lot of Show members show sheep and cattle, vegetables and chickens and everything - they stuff just to keep it going.”

The Celt asks what Aaron likes about sheep?

“Aw, it’s hard to explain, they can be troublesome enough,” he concedes as he ruminates over his answer. “I don’t know, what way would you put it?

“They’re just catchy - handy to have. It’s a great addiction, showing sheep. You always want to have the best one, you always want to be trying to breed the best out there, or buy the best.”

Aaron plays football for Castlerahan, and amongst his clubmates sheep farmers are few and far between.

“They give me a bit of slagging but it’s only for a bit of craic,” he says.

Aaron is confident Virginia Show, now in its 83rd year, has a bright future ahead.

“Every year there’s new faces - there’s a lot of young people who volunteer to help out - selling catalogues and all of that - once they get older they can steward. They can keep the family tradition going. It’s all family.

“There’s a lot of young members there keeping the family tradition going of being a Show member.”