The Spring Show in the RDS was always a great time for us as youngsters even better than the Horse Show. The difference between the Spring and Horse Show was that it was much easier for us to bunk in at the spring show.

Simmonscourt Road was closed off and we used to tell the man on the gate that we lived on the other side. While he was bringing us across we would run off to spend the day inside the show.

On our way up to Ballsbridge we always walked up the Dodder then we went around by the Sweepstakes, where there were loads of bicycles belonging to the staff. Further on up Ballsbridge Avenue we would go into O’Connors, a small shop that sold lots of commodities and we would buy a few pennies worth of sweets. We were always fascinated by the talking parrot that Mr O’Connor had outside the shop.

We loved to go in to where the cows were kept– it was a great novelty to get fresh milk straight from the cow. Other times, we got lots of free samples of different types of food and there was always a few bob to be made too during these events.

Unfortunately, the Spring Show was discontinued some time ago. Today, the same road is now being closed for the Dublin Horse Show, held every August.

In times past, the railway ran right up to the Merrion Road to where the headquarters of Allied Irish Bank now stands. This was once part of the RDS where the bloodstock sales took place. The trains also brought in a lot of livestock from different parts of the country.

In 1868 the first Horse Show was held on the lawns of Leinster House. In 1881 the Show moved to Ballsbridge, then a greenfield site. Shows have been held annually with the exception of the the two World Wars ever since.