Newly arrived in Ireland, and driving through the county some 33 years ago, Cornishwoman Sue Paling started to notice donkeys in large number pegged out on grass verges. Mystified, the animal lover made enquiries and discovered that progress in the shape of farm machinery was edging out these gentle creatures from the very fields and farmyards they had served faithfully for lifetimes, reducing them to roadside cast-offs.
The National Hall of Fame Awards was a concept that came about when Michael Flanagan, the now CEO of the event, was attending the Athlone Show at the old