2029 World Golden Shears Championships

Inishowen Co-Op and Clonmany Agricultural Show Reflect with Pride on Bid for 2029 World Golden Shears Championships

A strong partnership between Clonmany  Agricultural Show  and Inishowen Co-Op has been at the centre of an ambitious bid over the past number of months to bring the 2029 World Golden Shears Championships to The Clonamny Show in Inishowen.

The submission was led by Gerard Noone from the Clonmany Agricultural Show and Sheepdog Association and coordinated by Gareth Whitmore, General Manager of Inishowen Co-Op, working closely with a regional support group who believed that the Inishowen peninsula could successfully host one of the most prestigious events in the global sheep industry.

Inishowen Co-Op, the region’s largest retail employer, has been at the forefront of supporting farming, community and rural development in the area for over 60 years, and was proud to partner with the Clonmany Agricultural Show in developing a bid that would place the region firmly on the international agricultural stage.

The World Golden Shears Championships celebrate the extraordinary skill and heritage of sheep shearing and wool handling, attracting over 500 elite competitors from across the globe who compete in sheep shearing, wool handling and wool pressing in the ultimate display of speed, skill and precision.

Following evaluation at the 2026 championships this week, the honour of hosting the 2029 event was awarded to Australia. While the Inishowen bid was not successful on this occasion, the partners involved are reflecting with great pride on the strength of the submission and the collaboration that brought it together.

A dedicated committee was formed to support the project including Gerard and Josephine Noone, of Clonmany Agricultural Show, local councillor Martin McDermott, John Farren
Ballyliffin Golf Club who highlighted the success of the 2018 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, Helen Nolan of the award winning social enterprise Spraoi agus Spórt, and Evelyn Mc Glynn of Evelyn Mc Marketing.

The submission process involved months of research, consultation and planning. Under the leadership of Gerard & Josephine Noone and Gareth Whitmore, the team compiled extensive documentation to demonstrate that Inishowen could successfully host an event of this scale.

The final submission included:

• A professionally produced promotional video showcasing Clonmany Agricultural Show and the Inishowen peninsula
• A high quality promotional brochure
• A comprehensive  proposal document outlining the region’s agricultural expertise, infrastructure, event management capability and hospitality.

The bid was also strengthened by letters of support from organisations including , Inishowen Co Op,  Fáilte Ireland, Donegal County Council and other key agencies, recognising both the strength of sheep farming in the region and the proven ability of the North West to deliver major international events.

Gerard and Josephine  Noone travelled to Australia last week to present the submission in person. Gareth Whitmore was due to join them but was unfortunately unable to travel when flights were cancelled during widespread global disruption to air travel.

Despite the setback, the partners involved remain extremely proud that the Inishowen submission reached the final judging stage alongside bids from the UK and Australia, and that it represented the only Irish submission for the championships.

Hosting the event would have brought significant international exposure to Inishowen, Donegal and the wider North West region, highlighting the quality of sheep farming in the area while delivering major tourism and economic benefits.

The partners involved have congratulated the successful Australian bid and thanked everyone who supported the proposal.

“This project demonstrated the strength of partnership across our region,” Gareth Whitmore, General Manager of Inishowen Co-Op said. “From farming organisations and local businesses to tourism bodies and community groups, there was a shared belief that Inishowen could host a world class event. The expertise in sheep farming in our region, combined with our culture, hospitality and proven ability to deliver large scale events, meant we had a very strong case and I commend the Clonmany Show for their strategic and forward thinking had this been successful if would of brought interest and boosted tourism in the region.”