The Irish standard., 1913-11-22

THE FAIR IN IRELAND.
II 10 . National Institution Quite
Different From American
Meaning Of the Term.

No visitor to Ireland can truly say
that he has seen ireland II he has
not seen an Irish fair, says o. B. NJ.
in Dublin letter to the Catholic
Columbian.
The American who has not yet
crossed the pound, can have but a
vague conception Of what the word
represents. What we call a church
fair in America would in Ireland be
called bazaar. Our State or county
fairs correspond to what in Ireland
they call Shows" There are other
countries in Europe famous for their
fairs, notable Russia, Austria and
Germany. But these Continental fairs
are limited to few important cities,
and are held but once a year. In
Ireland. on the contrary, every village
with any pretenses to the name Of
town has its fair once month.
According to the season, of course,
certain fairs in given town are
more important than others. But the
monthly fair is a characteristic fea.
ture of the whole country's life. The
reason Of it seems to be that Ireland
is predominantly rural. The towns
live in the immediate neighborhood
for trade. Each town has market
once week. The day is fixed so that
10 two neighboring towns have their
market on the same day. The month.
ly fair is a development and enlarge
ment Of this market and comedies
with 1t one day in each month. If
the market occurs on Wednesday,
the fair will be on the first, second,
third or fourth Wednesday. 1t differs
from the market in being larger and
especially in that 1t includes live
stock. cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, etc
The people come in from the sur
rounding country in all manner Of
vehicles, and their carts and cars are
not the least interesting part Of the
fair to the stranger unaccustomed tc
Irish life. Before noon the streets
are we'll nigh impossible, but with
that hour the crowds begin to dimin
ish, because most Of the buying
whether in live stock, or in butter
eggs and fowl, is done for the English
markets and this requires that the,
be shipped from the fair as early a.
possible to catch the might boats" tt
the sister island. Some of the fairs
according to the section Of the coun
try-are noted for their horses, some
for sheep, others for cattle, and some
few also for asses, which are bough
and taken over to England for worl
on the farm, or to be used in small
carriages for children. l met a large
farmer in England who told me tha
his Irish donkey was more service
able Tor jobbing about the farm ant
for running into town than any large
horse he ever had.
Among these fairs a few are an
nual and last several days. Ballinas
loe fairs lasts an entire week. TIL,
most famous fair in ireland is that o
Ballinasloe in October. Like all Irisl
towns, Ballinasloe has Its month";,
fair. which lasts but one day. Thi
is the annual fair that occupies tn
whole Of the first week in October
Ballinasloe. during fair week. wa,
the most congested place I had eve
been In. Horses in hundreds cantere
through the streets. Buyers and sell
ers in swarms gently jostled eac
other off the footwalks. Endless PR
cessions Of cattle and sheep cam
into the town in the evening, to b
exposed for sale next morning O
the fair green, or in GaIbally parl
And after the morning sales, ther
were equally lengthy PROFESSIONS c
animals to the railway station, wher
train load after train load Of stoc
was got away as rapidly as possible