This article is from page 17 of the 2014-06-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
LARGE crowds will gather in Spancilhill at the weekend to celebrate one of the landmark occasions in Irish rural life.
The annual Spancilhill Fair begins on Monday June 23 with horse traders from across the country expected to descend on the fair green.
A busy programme of events is also organised for the days prior to the world famous fair.
Michael Duggan of the local organizing committee says huge numbers of people are again expected to attend this year’s event.
“For the fair, we’d get massive crowds.
“It’s midsummer. You have people planning their year around it. It’s one of those big landmark events in rural life in Ireland”
“The horse trade would not be fantastic anymore but you’re still getting big crowds every year”, he adds.
The festivities kick off on Friday June 20 with a music session in Duggan’s Pub from 9.30pm.
Local historian Joe Queally will lead a walk through Spancilhill area on Saturday.
The walk starts at 6pm from Duggan’s pub and finishes with a singsong afterwards. No charge applies but contributions will be donated to Cahercalla Hospice.
The ‘Eve of Fair Family Fun Day’ on Sunday, June 22 will feature a vin- tage horse drawn carriage, donkey derby, tug of war and lots of other fun activities.
Michael says. “The day before has become a big part of the whole occasion.
“The family day is a good way of introducing a younger generation to Spancilhill and what it’s all about”.
Gardaí will oversee a traffic management plan in the area during the fair. Michael is appealing to those coming to the fair to park in the allotted car parks and keep approach roads to the fair green clear.
The first charter for the historic fair was granted by King Charles over 300 years ago. In the past the fair lasted for a week or more with people coming from all over the world.
In recent times it has evolved into a one-day show and fair where the leading horses in the country are presented.
Buyers from all over Europe are still attending and purchasing horses that have gone onto make their name on the international stage in both the show jumping and pony circles.
In 1913 it was recorded that 4,000 horses were present and a feature of that fair was the purchasing of horses as cavalry horses for the British, Belgian and French armies. 1,175 horses were purchased on that day on behalf of the British army.