Summaries

Synopsis

With 140 agricultural shows across Ireland, this scene is hugely popular with competitors and spectators. Every year thousands of people spend months of preparation before travelling the country to take part in the competitions every weekend. For the first time in history - all country shows have been cancelled. They have lost their weekly get-together to hail the best of the best. Although the show will not 'go on', the show-people - the winners, the losers, the bakers, the potters, the craftspeople, the florists, the artists continue their obsessions.

Throughout 2020 our cameras and crews have been capturing the stories of the people of all ages and backgrounds who vie for the top spots in an amazing range of competitions. We see competitors giving everything to be Best in Show -- from cattle to cakes, sheep-shearing to basket weaving, show-jumping to new technology, not forgetting the best vegetables, dog agility, art and craft.

This is a lively, perceptive and entertaining lightly formatted factual entertainment series about show-people - their remarkable personalities, talents, brains, rivalries, trade secrets, skills and stories. What does it take to be a prize-winner? To be the best?

Travelling to the most beautiful parts of our island, we capture breathtaking footage, with beautifully directed sequences to set the scene, mood and ultimately take the viewer into the world of the rosette winners.

We learn that showing be it animal or vegetable can be a family tradition - our families look at their long association with this world - where they won their first rosette, where in the world they have travelled to in their pursuit of the red ribbon, how they have progressed, or not as the case may be. We see family archive, photographs of their achievements.

Beidh Aonach Amárach has always been about people - their passions and talent. The shows may be gone in 2020 but let's celebrate and share the skills, ingenuity, and innovation of the "Best in Show".

BEIDH AONACH AMÁRACH is made by independent production company, Strident Media, with support from Northern Ireland Screen's Irish Language Broadcast Fund, for BBC Gaeilge and TG4.

BEIDH AONACH AMÁRACH was produced and directed by Bernadette Morris and was Executive Produced by Mairéad Ní Nuadháin and Kelda Crawford-McCann for Strident Media; Áine Walsh for Northern Ireland Screen's Irish Language Broadcasting Fund; Deirbhile Ní Churraighín for TG4 and Karen Kirby for BBC NI.