Travellers gather for street fair in Borris

MICHAEL PARSONS in Borris, Co Carlow

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”.