Only mules and horses at Europe’s oldest equine fair

THEY were all shapes, sizes and colours — grey, white, piebald, chestnut brown and black — and that was just the fellas selling the horses.

They swarmed up and down the main street of Buttevant in their thousands all day yesterday seeking out a good bargain — or trying to drive a few hard ones — at one of the world’s oldest horse fairs.

Reputed to be the longest-running in Europe, Cahirmee Horse Fair brought buyers and sellers from the length and breadth of Ireland, as well as traffic between Cork and Limerick along diversions off the N22.