Page 64 - Simply Vegetables Winter 2024/25
P. 64

 2024 Irish Championships
The Irish NVS (National Vegetable Society) Championships marked a tremendous success in its second
year, drawing in participants from across Ireland and the UK. The event showcased an impressive array of high-quality vegetables, reflecting
the dedication of our members. With competitors traveling from all corners, the championships highlighted both the strength of our NVS growing community and the high standards of vegetable cultivation. The enthusiasm and support from exhibitors and visitors alike helped solidify the Irish championship as a standout event in the gardening and agricultural calendar in Ireland.
We are incredibly grateful to the Moate Show committee for their unwavering support and dedication in facilitating our event once again in 2024. A heartfelt thank you goes to our Show Manager, Reggie Mitchell, and Show Secretary, Kathleen Higgins, along with all the stewards and volunteers whose hard work makes this event a resounding success. We would also like to extend a special thanks to the Lawlor family for their generous donation of the Harold Lawlor Cup and for their warm hospitality on the day.
Our esteemed judge, Medwyn Williams from Wales, brought a wealth of expertise
to the event, elevating its significance
for both exhibitors and visitors alike. Accompanying him was his wife, Gwenda, who expertly judged the vegetable classes at the Moate open show. Gwenda also took the initiative to organise a highly successful tombola during the event, raising valuable funds for the National Vegetable Society
in Ireland, a gesture that was met with immense appreciation from our committee.
Our Championships would not be possible without our exhibitors, thank you for your invaluable contribution and participation. Congratulations to the deserving prize winners.
We are immensely grateful to all our members for their generous sponsorship support. Thanks to you, we were able to provide a wonderful prize fund, including beautiful rosettes and trophies for the winners of our twelve championship classes, which were presented by Medwyn. We are also very grateful to Unwin’s for sponsoring seeds to each Irish member
for the chairs challenge. Congratulations to Paul Grimes for his outstanding achievement as the Best in Show winner with his remarkable 18/20-point collection. Medwyn praised the exhibit, stating, “The quality was top-notch, with all three items displayed scoring high marks (52.5/60) and perfectly fitting the judging criteria.” In
addition to Best in Show Rosette, Paul was also awarded the Harold Lawlor Cup and the NVS silver medal. The Reserve Best in Show title went to Raymond Higgins for his tomatoes.
NVS Ireland were delighted to present locally three fellowships awards to Sean Egan, John. J Mollen, and Reggie Mitchell in recognition of their dedication and contributions to the NVS. In the evening, members gathered at the Grand Hotel
in Moate. We enjoyed a delightful three- course meal, complete with tea and coffee. The service was exceptional, and the food was of high quality, making for a lovely conclusion to the day.
Finally, we are thrilled to announce our return to the Moate Show in 2025! The Championships are set for Sunday, August 24th. The detailed schedule will be unveiled at our Spring seminar in March, where we will officially launch the Championships and reveal the vegetable selected for the Irish Chairs challenge. Stay tuned for more updates as we gear up for an incredible 2025.
Raymond Higgins FNVS
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