Maam Cross fair draws pony connoisseurs

Buyers and dealers from all over Ireland, the UK, Europe and the US descended on Connemara yesterday for the annual Maam Cross Fair.

The famous fair, which is traditionally held on the Tuesday after the October bank holiday and is referred to locally as the "October Fair", actually fell on November 1st this year.

Although a wide range of goods was on sale at Maam Cross yesterday, the main attraction of the day were, as always, the Connemara ponies, which are in demand across the world.

Stalls, trailers and cars were parked for miles on each side of the four roads that lead to Maam Cross, and both Irish and English film crews travelled to the fair to interview local people and record the event.

The fair developed from the tradition of locals selling their surplus produce - potatoes, butter, mutton, beef and wool - to people visiting the area.

Some 15,000 people travelled to the area yesterday to take part in one of the biggest events on the rural calendar in the west. Although it is only a one-day event, the prestige of the fair puts it on a par with Killorglin, Ballinasloe and the Old Lammas Fair.

The social aspect is as important as the commercial side.

Watching the deals being done in the traditional manner is always a big attraction. No deal is completed without a bit of good-natured banter over the price or without the luck-penny and handshake.

Basil Keogh, owner of Peacocks Hotel and one of the organisers, said: "I suppose the most important aspect of the fair is that buyers come from all over the world to purchase the beloved Connemara pony, and indeed I see to it that every year we present a perpetual cup to the best turned-out pony at the fair."