Ballinasloe Horse Fair
Encyclopedia
The Ballinasloe Horse Fair is a horse fair which is held annually at Ballinasloe, the second largest town in County Galway
, in the western part of Ireland
. It is one of Europe's
oldest and largest Horse Fairs, dating back to the 1700s. This annual event attracts up to 100,000 visitors from all over the world, with many returning to the town year after year. This festival is one of the most important social and economic events in the life of the town. The town is also renowned for horse and pony riding, show jumping and other equestrian activities which take place throughout the year.
, the hinterland of Ballinasloe. Traditionally, farmers from the eastern portions of Ireland travelled to Ballinasloe to purchase livestock from western counterparts.
Ballinasloe historically served as a meeting point, or hosting area, for clansmen from local tribes. Indeed its name derives from Béal Átha na Sluaıghe, the Irish
for "Ford-mouth of the Hostings". Evidence on the date of the fair's origin is scant but the town's traditional role as a meeting place justifies local traditional belief that this is an ancient event.
By the late 1700s, the fair was being reported in The Times
as involving the sale of "65,758 sheep, and 6,565 bullocks" while in the early 1800s the paper reported it as "the largest of its kind in Europe" (1804) and "the greatest in the British empire" (1816).
A local land-owing family, the La Poer Trenches, who received the Earldom of Clancarty
, shaped much of the 18th and 19th century history of the town. They excercised control over the fair owing to their ownership of the land around the town, coming known as the "Baron of the Fair". They sponsored the housing of the Farming Society of Ireland in Ballinasloe and in 1840 the Ballinasloe District Agricultural Society was formed. An Agricultural Hall was opened on Farming Society Street now renamed Society Street.
In 1948 a committee was formed that organised a carnival to coincide with the Fair and the Show. Thanks to the efforts of this committee and those of the long-established Show Society, the Ballinasloe October Fair has prospered.
who regularly congregate there. Ballinasloe ranks with the Appleby Horse Fair
, in Appleby-in-Westmorland
in importance for this community.
County Galway
County Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
, in the western part of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is one of Europe's
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
oldest and largest Horse Fairs, dating back to the 1700s. This annual event attracts up to 100,000 visitors from all over the world, with many returning to the town year after year. This festival is one of the most important social and economic events in the life of the town. The town is also renowned for horse and pony riding, show jumping and other equestrian activities which take place throughout the year.
Festivities
The fair lasts nine days and starts on the first Saturday in October, when a parade through the town is held. It continues during the next week and includes a beauty contest (the Queen of the Fair), tug-of-war competitions, dog shows, artistic and cultural events, singing competitions and fair-groud attractions as well as the titular horse fair. The latter event includes sale-and-purchase, racing and show-jumping and these are concentrated on a 6-acre site on Society Street - the Fair Green. Events culminate during the second week-end; the Saturday of which is known as "Country Fair Day". Traditionally, this was the day in the fair with the highest attendance from local rural residents.History
The fair is known by a variety of names, including the "Ballinasloe October Fair", the "October Fair" and the "Great Horse Fair" and it is one of the oldest fairs in Ireland. At one stage it was renowned as the largest and greatest in all of Europe. It is now predominantly known as a horse fair, but previously served the range of agricultural interests associated East Galway and South RoscommonCounty Roscommon
County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...
, the hinterland of Ballinasloe. Traditionally, farmers from the eastern portions of Ireland travelled to Ballinasloe to purchase livestock from western counterparts.
Ballinasloe historically served as a meeting point, or hosting area, for clansmen from local tribes. Indeed its name derives from Béal Átha na Sluaıghe, the Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
for "Ford-mouth of the Hostings". Evidence on the date of the fair's origin is scant but the town's traditional role as a meeting place justifies local traditional belief that this is an ancient event.
By the late 1700s, the fair was being reported in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
as involving the sale of "65,758 sheep, and 6,565 bullocks" while in the early 1800s the paper reported it as "the largest of its kind in Europe" (1804) and "the greatest in the British empire" (1816).
A local land-owing family, the La Poer Trenches, who received the Earldom of Clancarty
Earl of Clancarty
Earl of Clancarty, in the Irish counties of Cork and of Galway, is a title that has been created twice in the Peerage of Ireland.-First creation: MacCarty family of Muskerry:...
, shaped much of the 18th and 19th century history of the town. They excercised control over the fair owing to their ownership of the land around the town, coming known as the "Baron of the Fair". They sponsored the housing of the Farming Society of Ireland in Ballinasloe and in 1840 the Ballinasloe District Agricultural Society was formed. An Agricultural Hall was opened on Farming Society Street now renamed Society Street.
In 1948 a committee was formed that organised a carnival to coincide with the Fair and the Show. Thanks to the efforts of this committee and those of the long-established Show Society, the Ballinasloe October Fair has prospered.
Association with the Travelling Community
The Ballinasloe Fair has a long traditional association with the Irish Travelling CommunityIrish Traveller
Irish Travellers are a traditionally nomadic people of ethnic Irish origin, who maintain a separate language and set of traditions. They live predominantly in the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States.-Etymology:...
who regularly congregate there. Ballinasloe ranks with the Appleby Horse Fair
Appleby Horse Fair
The Appleby Horse Fair is a horse fair which is held annually at Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria in England....
, in Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a town and civil parish in Cumbria, in North West England. It is situated within a loop of the River Eden and has a population of approximately 2,500. It is in the historic county of Westmorland, of which it was the county town. The town's name was simply Appleby, until...
in importance for this community.