A ‘Fair Day’ at Maam Cross

THOUSANDS of people – including jobbers, traders, farmers and tourists – are expected to throng Maam Cross for the annual fair that takes place on Tuesday next, October 29.

The Maam Cross Fair – thought to stretch back through the centuries – was a traditional day of sales and celebration for the Connemara farmers who made their living from the rocky farms of the area.

Connemara Ponies continue to be the highlight of the sale with buyers from all parts of the country converging on the crossroads to purchase a breed that’s now famous all across the world.

Martina Nicholson, Manager of Breege Burke’s Peacocke’s Hotel in Maam Cross, said that the fair was a wonderful celebration of country life and continued on a tradition that dated back hundreds of years.

“It really is one of those special days in Connemara when people gather from all corners of Ireland not to just to buy and sell, but to enjoy the atmosphere of the traditional Fair Day,” she said.

She added that the fair had always held onto a wonderful atmosphere that celebrated all that was good in Irish country life, with people from all over the country returning year after year for the event.

Over the years Peacocke’s has become synonymous with the hospitality and cordial atmosphere of the traditional Fair Day where many’s the ‘done deal’ has been washed down with a ‘pint of plain’.

Galway Co. Council and the Gardaí have come together to ensure the smooth running of the Fair Day event with the road from Maam Cross to Maam closed for the day.