Horse fair expected to draw 20,000 to Buttevant
Fine weather is expected to attract at least 20,000 people to the Cahirmee Horse Fair in Buttevant.
Traffic diversions will be in place around the town from 8am this morning. Gardaí warned motorists using the N20 to give an extra 60 minutes for journey times.
Traffic from Cork heading to Limerick will be diverted around Buttevant at New Twopothouse via Doneraile.
Limerick traffic heading for Cork will be diverted at Kilbroney via Doneraile.
"Only fair traffic will be allowed through the checkpoints. There will be absolutely no through traffic," a garda spokesman said.
"We would encourage people to park outside the town and walk in. There is no way people can pass through the town in the vehicles," he said.
Gardaí also issued a security warning to people attending the fair.
"We want people to enjoy the day. But we want people to be careful of pick pockets."
They also warned people trading animals to not leave their horses unattended for long periods. Two horses were stolen from horse boxes last year.
People were also warned to be on the lookout for counterfeit money. A range of counterfeit notes were in circulation at last year's fair.
Gardaí urged people to check their cash after transactions. Plain clothes counterfeit experts will mingle with fair crowds today, the garda spokesman said.
He also urged people to be aware of their personal safety in the presence of so many horses.
A young boy was rushed to hospital last year after the horse he was standing behind kicked him, breaking his arm.
The garda traffic unit will also be on patrol in the area during and after the fair on the lookout for drink drivers.
Pubs and restaurants are expected to be packed throughout the day. However, a number of other shops will close.
Fine weather encouraged almost 20,000 people, the largest crowd in over 10 years, to attend last year's fair.
Gone but not forgotten, the Tall Ships may yet return
Neans McSweeney, South East Correspondent
TALL SHIPS' event manager Olivia O'Reilly was back behind her old desk at City Hall in Waterford yesterday, facing into a different job.
Over the past two years, she was "eating, drinking and sleeping" the Tall Ships Race.
She was seconded from her job at City Council to work on the project a remarkable event that brought an estimated 480,000 people to Waterford over the four-day festival.
"It was busy, very busy," she said yesterday.
And it could get a lot busier too, she revealed, with plans to bring the event back to Waterford in seven years time.
"The whole event surpassed all of our expectations. We can't complain about the numbers or the spectacle. People are already saying we have to get the event back but we will have to let the dust settle first.
"My highlight was the parade of the crews. The atmosphere was electric. It was definitely one of the greatest events of the four days for me."
The young marketing and events executive previously worked as a senior staff officer in corporate affairs with the city council, also having experience in the housing department and city engineer's office.
A keen basketball player and former member of the Irish women's first team, Ms O'Reilly started working on the Tall Ships project in July 2003.
"I travelled extensively last summer to see some of the other ports. It was very different in each port and we had to see how the other ports performed. That's how we learned.
"The magnificent support given to the organising committee was phenomenal. The voluntary effort was massive and the public and private contributions were just fantastic. The event really was a city-wide and regional drive.
"I couldn't fault a single State to semi-State agency or any of the people who got involved. It just showed what we can do as a city and as a region when we put our minds to it," Ms O'Reilly emphasised.
"Some people were inconvenienced but they should now understand why. The emails that came in to us through our website were very, very positive. The park-and-ride bus service ran very well and the spectacle was there.
"It is possible that it will be back to Waterford. We will now regroup and look at the positives and the negatives, not that there were, so far, any of the latter. We will also be examining how we could improve on it, were it to come back.
"I could see it being back in Waterford again certainly."
