SLOW TRADE FAILS TO DAMPEN ATMOSPHERE AT GALBALLY HORSE FAIR
The sun failed to shine but thankfully the rain stayed away for the annual Galbally Horse Fair which is now becoming a regular feature in the village on the second Tuesday in October.
This week’s fair, held in balmy like autumnal conditions, attracted its biggest ever attendance and brought a carnival style buzz to Galbally.
Trade, in common with recent similar events in Ballinasloe and Tallow, was described as ‘slow’ as sellers struggled to get even half of the asking price in some cases. In a strange turn of events, a pair of Jack Russell terrier pups, which sold for €110 each in the early morning, made more than some of the available bloodstock.
Reality had, however, taken hold by the afternoon when the same pups were on offer at €50 a piece. Roger Sampson’s Connemara ponies were, as always, in big demand but the demand for horse flesh was, in general, poor, reflecting, perhaps, the current downturn in the economy.
One man that travelled from near Dromkeen once again went away disappointed, having failed to secure a sale for his animal after suffering a similar fate in Ballinasloe. There was little demand for a trailer load of hay bales but the stalls, chip vans and local pubs seemed to be, as one local put it, ‘coining’ as a result of the fair.
Geraldine Henebry and Joan Sampson enjoyed a roaring trade with their hot soup and teas while the local ICA guild also did well at their home produce stand. Nuala Kearney and her crew had everything from shrubs and organic apples to pumpkins for sale. Most of those in attendance were very happy that the tradition of a horse fair in Galbally was being retained.
“It was a great day, there was such a buzz around the place. It gives us all a bit of a lift,” one local woman told The Avondhu.
Full credit to the organisers who had the former Tidy Towns winning village spick and span again as dusk fell on this year’s horse fair day. All that lingered in the air come Wednesday morning was the musky scent of horse dung!
Published:
Thursday 15th October 6:29pm
