Munster Agricultural Society



The Munster Agricultural Society, also known as the MAS, is a non-profit agricultural organisation headquartered in County Cork, Ireland. Founded in 1805, its stated charitable purpose is “to encourage and promote Agricultural, Industrial, Educational and Scientific Pursuits.” It also oversees the Munster Dairy School and Agricultural Institute.

The MAS is one of nine nominating bodies for the Agricultural Panel at the Seanad elections.

History
It was originally established as the County of Cork Farming Society, changing to the County of Cork Agricultural Society sometime in the 1830s, before evolving in 1908 to its current name. It has run Cork Summer Show since 1806. In 1880, the Society established the Munster Dairy School & Agricultural Institute. Richard Barter was its inaugural secretary. It was based in a large, 9-bay, 2-storey residence with farm buildings behind. Located on the Model Farm, it was a Jacobethan style and constructed between 1856-1859. It was the first dairy institute in Ireland or Britain to teach female students. In the 19th century, the Society ran the Munster Model Farm. In a House of Commons (UK Parliament) Debate of the Potato Crop Committee on 25 April 1882, English industrialist and statesman William Edward Forster pointed out to two experiments run on the Model Farm by the organisation. In a House of Commons debate in 1900, Horace Plunkett, then Vice-President of the Department of Agriculture for Ireland, supported the Munster Dairy School & Agricultural Institute, stating, "the Department fully intends that in the development of the Institute every feature of its work which has been found of utility to the farming community, such as itinerant dairy instruction, will be continued". The Institute featured in a report on education by the U.S Department of the Interior in 1907. In 1909, Consul H.S Culver reported to the U.S Department of Commerce and Labor that "the Munster Agricultural Society has recently inaugurated a new movement having for its object the introduction of improved methods in Irish agriculture."

In 1908, Mr. A. McDonald J.P, was President of the organisation. The Spring Show that year had made an operating profit of £5 18s 10d. As of 1911, Mr. L.A Beamish J.P, was President and Major O'Connor and Mr. R. Bence-Jones J.P, were serving on the executive. By 1913, Lord Barrymore, Sir Warren Crook-Lawless and Sir George Coldhurst were on the MAS' executive. The President was Mr. A. Morrison. It opposed Kaiser Wilhelm II in World War I. In 1918, the Livestock Journal, based in London, England, described a bull sale at its Spring Show in Cork as a "great success." Major M.W Litton, O.B.E, was secretary of the Society as of 1919.

The Show grounds were formerly based in Ballintemple, Cork. Cork Corporation provided the land as a permanent home for the showground and the Society spent £5,300 laying out the grounds and building the necessary structures. The showgrounds opened in 1892. Part of the grounds became part of the rebuilt Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

Members of the organisation's General Council (formerly the General Committee), have represented different parts of Munster. In 1931, Edward MacLysaght represented Clare, Ross McGillicuddy represented Kerry and Major-General Sir George Franks represented Limerick. In the 1930s, the Society was sympathetic to the Roman Catholic Church. The Earl of Kenmare was involved in the MAS during this period.

Capt. T.A Clarke was elected President of the Society in 1919 and remained so until his death in 1936. He was succeeded by his brother, E.J Clarke.

The work of the Society was discussed in a parliamentary debate of the Northern Ireland Senate in 1921. Also that year, Capt. T.A Clarke, with Mr. H.T Ryan, F.R.C.V.S, spoke on behalf of the MAS at a meeting of the U.K Commonwealth Shipping Committee. In 1922, Clarke, in the capacity of President, along with the City Solicitor, dealt with Henry Ford to build the Centre Park Road in the Marina, Cork.

In 1935, a large group of farmers instigated what the Irish Independent called a "half-hearted boycott" of the MAS' annual show in Cork, parading the city bearing banners that stated 'Best Livestock Show in Ireland - Fermoy, Twice Weekly - Admission by Favour Only'. Gardai and detectives in large numbers were on duty on the Society's grounds, but no unusual incident occurred. In January 1936, at a meeting of the Cork County Council's Committee of Agriculture, J. Daly stated that the MAS should not receive subsidies, declaring that its General Committee was "composed of shoneens and landlords" and that he was glad to have seen the show in Cork boycotted, noting that support of the event had decreased from previous years.

Australian born Colonel Grove White (1852-1938) was a member of the Munster Agricultural Society.

Major-General William Bertram Bell of Fota House, Cork, was President of the Society from the early 1950s until the late 1960s, stepping down at 87 years of age. Mrs. Dorothy E. Bell, daughter of the first Baron of Barrymore and wife of Major Bell, was also involved in the Munster Agricultural Society until her death in 1975. Capt. Denis Gould was secretary of the MAS during this period.

As of 1986, the show was second in size to the Royal Dublin Society's Spring Show. In 1987, The Southern Star characterised the Society's annual summer show in Cork as "a genteel affair, with veiled ladies demurely side-saddling their way around a white paled arena and sweet smelling roses and perfect lilies gracing the horticultural section. The rather refined atmosphere is of Wimbledon, Ascot Week and strawberries and cream and the lengthly spitting and polishing of the livestock exhibits leads one to imagine they could almost sit up and eat such delicacies." In 1988, the Society announced that it was building a new indoor stadium in Ballintemple at a cost of IR£1 million, which the Irish Press described as the City's "biggest ever venue for conferences and concerts." As of 1990, the MAS hosted an Autumn Show. The MAS has held auctions for livestock and machinery.

The Society has hosted a film festival through the set up of a drive-in cinema on its grounds in Curraheen.

In 2015, it collaborated with Down Syndrome Cork to establish the ‘Field of Dreams’ project. It officially opened in 2017. The project was the first of its kind in Ireland. In 2016, the MAS nominated Tim Lombard and Denis O'Donovan to contest the Seanad election. In 2017, the MAS collaborated with Ford to celebrate 100 years of the opening of the Ford Motor Company plant in the City by Henry Ford. Cork City Council was criticised for attempting to sell a gate lodge to the former site of the Munster Dairy & Agricultural Institute on Model Farm Road. The Council sought €100,000 for the structure, built in the 1860s. It had been in council ownership since 1984 and was used as a social housing unit up to November 2004. While it is not a protected structure, it is listed in the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage but has been formally declared derelict. In 2019, Cork County Council was the lead sponsor of the Show. That year, it was reported that the Munster Dairy School & Agricultural Institute had organised a "generous prize fund of €2,500" for awards relating to innovation.