TRAVELLERS FROM all over Ireland arrived in south Co Carlow yesterday for the country’s longest street market which is expected to attract thousands of visitors today.
The Borris Fair is a major social event in the calendar of the Travelling community. By mid-morning yesterday, families in caravans and camper vans had staked out prime spots for their stalls on the mile-long Main Street.
The event was formerly one of Europe’s biggest sheep fairs, but the livestock trade ceased decades ago. Although a limited amount of horse-dealing takes place, most traders offer an eclectic range of merchandise – from farm implements to “designer” sunglasses.
Some local residents complain annually that they are “imprisoned” in their homes and many local businesses – and all the pubs – are closed for the day. Their main gripe is the cost of clean-up. Stallholders do not pay fees and Carlow County Council said it will spend €20,000 on “the provision of security and the carrying out of street cleaning following the fair”.