THERE WAS a large Garda presence as streets, houses and businesses were sealed off for the start of one of the country's oldest horse fairs yesterday.
More than 3,000 Travellers gathered in the village of Borris, Co Carlow, for the annual fair, which is a key date in the horse-trading calendar.
Up to 500 horses were bought and sold on a small green directly across from shops and businesses which refused to open during the running of the fair.
Additional gardaí were drafted into the village, which has a population of 1,100, and high fencing was erected after residents complained of traders parking on their property and leaving "mountains of rubbish" behind in previous years.
Many residents were annoyed as stall holders, selling everything from power-tools to Elvis posters, moved in early on Thursday for the "one-day fair", which they claim often runs into three or four days.
Local Green Party TD Mary White said: "The people of Borris agree that the fair should continue, but they want traders to stay for one day only and to take their rubbish with them when they go."
A team of 16 county council workers are to begin a €14,000 clean-up operation this morning with two trucks, a JCB and a number of mechanical street sweepers on stand by.
Most of the traders appeared not to be bothered that all of the pubs in the village and some of the shops decided to close their doors for the duration of the fair.
"Sure that's bad business, they'd make a killing if they'd the sense to stay open," said one punter in the horse ring.
Paddy Connolly, a horse trader who travelled from Kerry, said selling was "steady" yesterday.
"There's been a good few buyers in from England," he said. "Things are moving well and it's not raining, which is always good."
Brendan Hughes, animal welfare inspector with the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said he came across a small number of animal-health issues during trading.
"There were a few horses which needed treatment to their hooves, but by and large the animals are well turned out," Mr Hughes said.
He had come across five instances of dogs being sold which he had had to stop as "it is illegal to sell a dog in a public place".
As trading came to a halt yesterday evening, Sgt PJ Whelan of Borris Garda station said the event went off peacefully and without incident.
The fair, which is held every year on August 15th, the feast of the Assumption, is believed to date back to a 400-year-old charter, granted by Queen Elizabeth I.