Maze Move Mooted As Winter Celebration Of Agriculture Comes To Town

Even with a squeeze on finances the 2008 Royal Ulster Winter Fair - which starts next week - is to be one of the best - although there's news that it may be one of the last such events on the current site.

A major planning hurdle has been overcome in a far-reaching plan to move the whole RUAS operation to Lisburn's former Maze prision site in the coming years.

However, none of these planned changes will affect any forthcoming events, with on December 11th the Winter Fair, in association with Northern Bank, celebrating its 23rd anniversary with record entries.

The show boasts it's biggest ever rise in entry numbers with a 30% increase in livestock.

The increase includes 20 entrants for the new 'Showmanship' classes at the Winter Fair. This new class has been introduced to encourage young exhibitors to become more involved while this year there are seven exhibitors from the Republic of Ireland competiting against Northern Ireland's leading dairy cows for the coveted title of 'Supreme Champion'.

Billed as NI's premier indoor event in the dairy farming calendar, this year there will be 150 trade stands specifically for that sector of the industry, all showcasing their wares.

Rhonda Geary, Event Project Manager at the RUAS said: "We are delighted with the support that we have received from both livestock and trade exhibitors in the dairy industry and we are looking forward to 2008 being another very successful Winter Fair."

Meanwhile, the big news this week comes as a plan for the RUAS' main agricultural showgrounds to be relocated to the vacant Maze prison site has won a planning boost.

Official permission was granted yesterday for the redevelopment of its current home in Belfast - the location of both the imminent winter show and the main spring agricultural event.

The Planning Service's decision to approve the construction of 140 homes on the Balmoral Showgrounds opens the way for the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society to move its base to the derelict venue on the outskirts of Lisburn.

While controversial plans for a multi-sports stadium and conflict resolution centre at the Maze remain in doubt, this move by the RUAS would at least 40 acres of the 360-acre site outside Lisburn into use.

The sale of its highly-sought land behind the King's Hall in south Belfast would enable the RUAS to finance the move to Lisburn.

It would see the annual Balmoral Show move from its home of more than 100 years.

See: www.winterfair.org.uk

(BMcC)