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The Balmoral Show is Northern Ireland's largest agri-food event. It takes place during May in
Formed in 1854, the North East Agricultural Association of Ireland held the first shows at Belfast Corporation Markets between 1855 and 1895. In 1872, the first three-day show was held in
Balmoral Park website
Agricultural shows in Northern Ireland
Balmoral Park Balmoral Park can mean:
* Balmoral Park, Illinois, a horse racing track in Crete, Illinois
* Balmoral Park, Lisburn, an exhibition and business park in Lisburn, Northern Ireland
*It is also the name of two places in Australia
{{disambig ...
, Lisburn.
Sponsored by Ulster Bank
Ulster Bank ( ga, Banc Uladh) is a large retail bank, and one of the traditional Big Four (banking)#Ireland, Big Four Irish clearing banks. The Ulster Bank Group is subdivided into two separate legal entities: NatWest, National Westminster Ban ...
, it typically includes showjumping competitions, motorcycle displays, bands, shopping, tasting, a children's farm, and displays of falconry, pedigree horses, ponies, cattle, sheep, poultry, pigs and goats.
History
Formed in 1854, the North East Agricultural Association of Ireland held the first shows at Belfast Corporation Markets between 1855 and 1895. In 1872, the first three-day show was held in Ormeau Park
Ormeau Park is the oldest municipal park in Belfast, Northern Ireland, having been officially opened to the public in 1871. It is owned and run by Belfast City Council and is one of the largest and busiest parks in the city and contains a variet ...
in association with the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland.
In 1894, the showgrounds at Balmoral were purchased and works were completed in time for the opening of the yearly Annual Show, subsequently renamed the Balmoral Show, on 30 June 1896.
The King's Hall, Belfast
The King's Hall was a multi-purpose venue located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The King's Hall consisted of 6 event venues. The King's Hall is owned by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) (previously the North East Agricultural Associ ...
opened its doors at the Balmoral site in 1934. In 2012, RUAS members voted to purchase and relocate the show to the site of the former HM Prison Maze
Her Majesty's Prison Maze (previously Long Kesh Detention Centre, and known colloquially as The Maze or H-Blocks) was a prison in Northern Ireland that was used to house alleged paramilitary prisoners during the Troubles from August 1971 to Sept ...
, near Sprucefield
Sprucefield is a major out-of-town retail park in the townland of Magherageery, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is on the southern edge of Lisburn; about one mile from Lisburn city centre, and from central Belfast. Sprucefield is located b ...
, in Lisburn. The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society redeveloped the area of the site purchased into Northern Ireland's largest events venue, the Eikon Exhibition Centre.
In 2018, the RUAS celebrated the 150th Balmoral Show at the new Balmoral Park Balmoral Park can mean:
* Balmoral Park, Illinois, a horse racing track in Crete, Illinois
* Balmoral Park, Lisburn, an exhibition and business park in Lisburn, Northern Ireland
*It is also the name of two places in Australia
{{disambig ...
site.
The event was cancelled in the years from 1915 to 1918 (World War I), from 1940 to 1945 (World War II) and in 2020 (as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland
The COVID-19 pandemic reached Northern Ireland in February 2020. The Department of Health reports 3,445 deaths overall among people who had recently tested positive. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency reports 5,029 where th ...
).
References
{{reflistExternal links
Balmoral Park website
Agricultural shows in Northern Ireland