Trading quiet at rain-soaked Castleisland fair

THE crowds, the traffic and the animals all came in strength to Castleisland Horse Fair, yesterday, but trading was reported to be quiet.

Rain-soaked men standing with animals on the broad main street used terms such as “tough” and “slow” to describe business, while Frank Dodd, who deals in Irish draught horses and Connemara ponies, lamented the absence of buyers.

“I brought down five animals and was lucky to sell one draught mare for €800, which was a bad price, just before I decided to go home,” said Frank, from Galway.

“Between the weather and horses, things didn’t go well at all. I got good prices for horses here over the years, but my mare should have made €1,600. Horse fairs have gone way down since the Celtic Tiger went away.

“I came all the way from Ballybrit to get drowned wet and sold only one animal. I thought the Kerrymen would look after us, but they didn’t,” he quipped.

If you weren’t interested in the equine offerings on show, however, you could have gone home with a chicken, or a puppy, which were also for sale.

There were long traffic tailbacks on all approach roads to Castleisland, despite prior advice from gardaí to motorists to avoid the town if possible on its biggest day of the year.

Cars were bumper-to-bumper and moving at snail’s pace throughout the day. To add to the chaos, Castleisland livestock mart was also in operation.

Pubs were also packed as people sought refuge from the incessant rain.

Castleisland horse fair is normally held on November 1, but as the date fell on a Sunday this year, the fair was held yesterday instead.

Some people also availed of the opportunity to start their Christmas shopping, but reports, overall, were that cash was not as plentiful as during the boom.