This article is from page 14 of the 2013-12-17 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
IT WAS once Ireland’s largest horse fair but the fair in Kil rush will be lost if steps are not taken to retain the accompanying traders.
That was the message from Kilr ush Town Council on Thursday night, when it emerged that casual traders were struggling to make the € 200 annual casual trading fee.
“One of the biggest attractions of the horse fai r is the traders believe it or not.
“They are the ones that bring the people into town. I think the people of the town don’t realise what we have. It is something we should be marketing better,” said Cll r Liam O’Looney (FF).
“Kilr ush horse fair was the biggest horse fair in Ireland one time, there was no such a thing as Ballinasloe. I don’t think we will ever get back to those heady days,” he said.
“I think we are killing something. I think the regulation on the traders there at the moment is quite good. I think the quantity is sufficient but I can see them dying out very very fast if we don’t do something here.”
Town clerk John Corr y said that the council staff have been accepting the payment in four installments and during the November fai r, 30 of the 33 bays available were sold on the day.
Cllr Marian McMahon Jones (FG) said she was concerned that if the town council did not move to protect the horse fair now, it could go the way of the town council next year and be dissolved.
“It is only four days a year and it is something we should be nurturing and maintain because we are going to lose it,” she warned. M EA NW HI L E the Cooraclare Road sports facility in Kilrush came a step nearer to reality this week as it was announced that € 58,000 was provided for the development.
The funding will go towards phase one of the project – the development of artificial playing surface (Astro turf), floodlighting, security fencing and CCTV.
Kilrush town clerk John Corry told town councillors at Thursday night’s meeting that they “had been ready and waiting for the grant awarded”.
Tenders have already been sought for the project and members had also agreed on the work to be contained in phase one of the project that is expected to mirror Lees Road, Ennis.
Funding to a maximum of € 58,000 was available for the project from the Department of Sport and Irish Public Bodies with Clare County Council to contribute a further contribution in the form of a capital grant.
“It is as lot less than we were hoping for a number of years ago,” said Mr Corry, adding however that Kilrush Town Council had also ringfenced money for the project during the last number of years.