Presidential hopefuls join the crowds at packed Ballinasloe Fair

A bumper crowd is expected in Ballinasloe again this weekend for the world-famous horse fair.

Saturday is traditionally the ‘country fair’ day, when country folk from surrounding rural areas travel to the East Galway town for Europe’s oldest horse fair. On Friday, there’ll be a firework display at the Marina, which is a big attraction for locals and families in particular.

Organisers report that attendances last Sunday were up compared with last year, although it was less busy on Monday.

Among the crowd, estimated to be around 70,000 on Sunday, was President Michael D Higgins, who pressed the flesh during a walkabout at the Fair Green.

Two of his competitors in the upcoming Presidential election, Gavin Duffy, the businessman and former Dragon’s Den reality TV personality, and Liadh Ní Riada, the Sinn Féin MEP, also attended.

Sales of horses priced between €1,500 and €2,000 were reportedly brisk.

There were plenty of foreign buyers – from Germany, Netherlands, France and England – in attendance looking for bargains but good quality horses in the €5,000 to €6,000 price range were reportedly “scarce”.

This is the 296th fair sale, and follows hot on the heels of the 179th agricultural show in Ballinasloe the previous week.

There was a large Garda presence in the town over the weekend, including Gardaí on horseback and the Garda Dog Unit, and the event was described as “trouble-free”.

Stalls of traders – many of them who travel to Ballinasloe every year for the fair – numbered around 80 at the Showgrounds and were selling everything from ‘a needle to an anchor’.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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