placenamesMohill
Maothail
An organiser’s history traces the modern show from borrowed workhouse space to grounds developed by the local community.
The name
A reliable full-name meaning has not been established here. The recorded Irish and English forms are given without an unsupported translation.
Recorded forms
- Maothail · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Mohill · English · main form
Place & story
The show revived in 1927
Former chairman Liam Ellis’s history distinguishes an agricultural show held in Mohill in October 1844 from the present organisation’s beginnings. Canon M. J. Masterson prepared a revival in 1926, followed by the show of 31 August 1927 in the workhouse grounds and buildings and Higgins’s field. It drew 1,170 entries across livestock classes. A competition for a donkey and trap judged on style and appearance added presentation and spectacle to the assessment of farm animals. [2]
Developing the Park
Negotiations for grounds on the Dromod road began in 1935, with a £260 purchase proposed in April 1936. Ellis records that the move took several years: levelling the Park and building exhibition sheds required work led by horticultural inspector Tom Devine and contributions from town and countryside. Bands later accompanied the shows, while photography, calligraphy and dog competitions broadened their programme. This is the organiser’s account published in 2000, rather than a description of the present show’s location or timetable. [2]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Mohill. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Liam Ellis: Mohill Agricultural Show1927–1999, Mohill Re-Membered2000, reproduced by the show committee · Liam Ellis, former chairman of Mohill Agricultural Show
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.