The town of Ballinasloe in Co. Galway can expect about 100,000 visitors this week to it’s the annual horse fair. This event brings horses of all sizes and types from all over the country together with dealers & traders, musicians, singers with literally craic for all.
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"The Ballinasloe October Horse Fair is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland, at one stage renowned as the largest and greatest in all of Europe. While now predominantly associated with the horse, in its heyday the October Fair was an agricultural event of much greater significance, serving as a market for the sale of cattle and sheep by the farmers of the West to their counterparts in the East of Ireland. In the London Times of 1801 and 1804, the October Fair was referred to as the “Great Cattle Fair” of Ballinasloe. It is only since the early twentieth century that the fair has become exclusively associated with the horse.
Very little is known about the origins of the Ballinasloe October Fair, as there is little in terms of documentary evidence referring to its early development. In the past, fairs and markets were such a common feature of life in Ireland that contemporary observers perhaps felt little need to make special reference to them."
©Damian Mac Con Bladh
An unscheduled event by a bareback rider was a quick shopping trip to Tesco so how do you do your shopping ?
http://imgur.com/XRH3sbO
It is events like this in your country that make it so special. The farmer would love that fair - he adores horses.
ReplyDeleteThere is still time for The Farmer to visit Pat :)
DeleteI guess the signs don't say no horses allowed! We have the Appleby Horse Fair up in Cumbria, seems like it's the same sort of thing. One of my friends goes to watch the spectacle and always comes back with interesting stories.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay in replying. I was watching Ireland thrash France at the Rugby by 24 - 9 !
ReplyDeleteYes, these Horse Fairs are great events for people watching :)
A bareback rider on a shopping trip to Tesco. Fantastic. Only in the Emerald Isle! Love it!
ReplyDeleteYes well :) :) that's the way of it......
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