SPECIAL EDITION Thursday 22 September 2016
ISSUE 30
IMAGE: According to original Boorowa Irish Woolfest organiser Barbara Manion, the Running of the Sheep has made the event “iconic”.
Woolfest Grows with Running of the Sheep
The annual Boorowa Irish Woolfest has come a long way since its infancy as ‘Woolweek’ in the mid-1990s, and original event organiser Barbara Manion says the Running of the Sheep has made it “iconic”. This year’s Irish Woolfest is celebrating its 20th year of being in its current format as the Woolfest, and it is also celebrating the 20th year of the Running of the Sheep. Woolweek began in the mid-1990s as an event that spanned an entire week, but was limited to sheep and wool displays at the Boorowa Showground.
Mrs Manion lead the way to change the event in 1997 to be more accessible to the public by holding it across a single weekend, and adding more variety to it by including other entertainment. It was then that the now iconic Running of the Sheep was added to the event, and in 1997 it became known as ‘Woolfest’. In 2000 the name was changed to ‘Boorowa Irish Woolfest’ to recognise the strong Irish heritage Boorowa has, and the event has gone from strength to strength ever since.
However Mrs Manion said the introduction of the Running of the Sheep is what had made the event so well known not just in Boorowa and the wider region, but also through Australia. “The event is truly unique. No where else has a street parade through its main street with sheep running down it,” she said. “The Running of the Sheep has really put Boorowa on the map.” “When I was still organising the event I would talk on radio in Canberra, and the people of Canberra thought it was an amazing event- like the Running of the Bulls in Spain- whereas locals have always thought of it as a normal event.” “We get many people that come up from Canberra, but nowadays people from Sydney and elsewhere also make the trip.” Mrs Manion was the organiser of Woolfest for 16 years, having retired in 2013, but still attends the event each year and enjoys the atmosphere of Woolfest. She said the Running of the Sheep had gradually increased the popularity of the event each year, with as many as 15,000 having been estimated to attend it in a single year. With more activities and entertainment scheduled in for this year’s event, which runs from Friday 30th September to Sunday 2nd October, Mrs Manion said there was every chance that this year could be the best event yet. “Especially with the NSW Trial Yard Dog Championships and the rodeo, it should be big,” she said. By Joshua Matic
YOUNG MITSUBISHI www.youngmitsubishi.com, 15-17 Zouch Street, Young, ph: 6382 1388. ASX LS 2WD
$25,000.00
Drive away. Free auto upgrade during September.
Pajero Sport GLX
$47,500.00
Drive away. Auto, 4WD, Turbo Diesel. Comes with an Eftpos Card with $1000 credit during September
Triton Dual Cab GLX
$36,990.00
Drive away. 4WD, Turbo Diesel. Free auto upgrade during September.
Lancer ES Sport
From $20,990.00
Drive away plus $590 for metallic paint. Free auto upgrade during September.
All vehicles come with 5 year / 100,000km warranty, and 5 year road side assist.