Ballyforan Fair 3.27

Ballyforan Fair and Festival
Date: Sat 24th & Sun 25th September 2016


The present day fair of Ballyforan dates all the way to the early part of the 19th
century, when Hon. Gonville Ffrench, a local landlord who resided in Claremont
house, Ballyforan, was granted a patent on the 30th day of January 1836 to hold a fair
in the village.
The patent included a fair to be held on the 3rd Monday of May, June, July,
August, September, October and December. It also granted a market to be held each
Wednesday.
The landlord was entitled to charge a commission on livestock and produce sold at
the fair. This would involve stationing an agent on each approach road to the village
who would be responsible for collecting the commission involved. his would be
similar to the system that is involved in livestock marts today.
Although to this date no written records exist for a fair in this location prior to
1836 it is highly lightly that one would have taken place as the village is located at an
important crossing point on the river Suck. Over the years the days for the fair have
reduced to just one and at some stage this was set as the 14th October and this has
been the date for the fair in living memory.
Ballyforan was a major fair in the past and many people will tell you that they saw
the Fair Green full with everything from horses and carts, cattle, sheep, ram, horses,
pigs, etc.
In more recent years with the establishment of the livestock marts and the
availability of transport, the fair contracted somewhat and in recent years it has
consisted mainly of rams, ewe lambs and sometimes the odd horse and foal. Despite
this, farmers who show stock in Ballyforan will tell you if you have the right quality
stuff you will command a price every bit as good if not better than at the mart and at
the end of the haggling and possibly a drink everybody goes home happy.