Generational renewal within Irish agriculture, and the vital role of succession planning, was a key theme of this year’s Tullamore Show – appropriate, considering the show is hosted on the Butterfield Estate, Co Offaly, which has been successfully passed on from stalwart Johnny Butterfield to his daughter Anne Marie and her husband Stephen McQuade. The Tullamore Show is the country’s largest one-day agricultural show, with an attendance of more than 70,000. It celebrated 35 years on Sunday with an increased prize fund of €180,000 and more commercial stands than ever.Although he has officially retired from farming, Butterfield is still a big figure at Tullamore Show where he led the Mountbolus Pipe Band as a drummer in the opening parade. He wore his Civil Defence tie and a long-service medal. “I love being here every year. It’s a great privilege,” he said.Butterfield and the family came in for praise from show chairman John Keena, who pointed out that four weeks ago “this was a greenfield site and a working farm and I want to thank the landowners for allowing its us”.Keena was also thankful that the crowds came early this year with people travelling from all over Ireland. The early arrival of many made traffic management that bit easier, he said.The crowds at the Tullamore Show in Blue Ball, Co Offaly. Photograph: Tom Honan Penny Le Blanc Meredith, aged 13, from Offaly, with a Belgian blue called Tilly. Photograph: Tom Honan Johnny Butterfield at the show. Photograph: Tom Honan There was also a focus on the role of women in agriculture and volunteerism within the farming industry, with many members of Offaly Volunteer Group assisting in crowd control and parking.Among the 740 commercial stands were the sustainable livestock village and farm safety seminars.There were also fashion shows and gardening and cookery demonstrations, a flower show, sheepshearing demonstrations, the Macra National Farm Skills competition, dog agility competitions, rare breeds, show jumping and robotics.Tadhg Devanney prepares his Belgian blue heifer, called Magpie, at the Tullamore Show. Photograph: Tom Honan Páidí McGrath (3), Tipperary, at play at the show. Photograph: Tom Honan Brothers Larla Neenan (10) and Luke Neenan (12) from Loughrea at the Tullamore Show. Photograph: Tom Honan Grace Kelly (6) from Rathvilly, Co Carlow, with Yasmin, a beef shorthorn. Photograph: Tom Honan Competitions included a bonny baby, glamorous granny, best-dressed lady, traditional farmer and most appropriately dressed man contests, concluding with the parade of champions of the FBD National Livestock show.In the Offaly tent, author Raymond Daly was selling his book Ten Faithful Years, a history through song and words of Offaly between 1913 and 1923. In the baking tent next door participants in the Odlums All Ireland Home Baking Championship were setting out their wares.Taoiseach Micheál Martin meets Joe Ferguson and his son Senan (4), from Loughshinny. Photograph: Tom Honan Young livestock handlers Jack Kelly (5), Keelan Kelly (9) and Grace Kelly (6) from Rathvilly, Co Carlow. Photograph: Tom Honan Sisters Serena Bergin (8), seated on pony Lexy, and Aoibhinn (7) from Tullamore. Photograph: Tom Honan Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s arrival to open the show generated much excitement among the party faithful. MEP Barry Cowen and TD Tony McCormack were there, too. Martin described the show as “the largest one-day show in Europe”, which went down very well with the locals. “It personifies the very highest standards in Irish agricultural industry and food production and in rural life as well,” he said.He was impressed with the variety and range of the stalls, which, he said illustrated the “very significant role” that Irish agriculture and food production played in the Irish economy and more generally in terms of core global issues of food security.Poignantly, en route to Tullamore Show, the national flag was flying at half-mast on Charleville Castle, part of Charleville Demesne where Tullamore Show was held for many years. It was in honour of the castle’s manager, Dudley Stewart, who died last week.