School: Inch, Borrisoleigh (roll number 2836)

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1. Local Fairs (continued)

   

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   always held on the Sunday following the Fair.
   When people have decided to go to the Fair either to buy or to sell there are some preparations. If the cattle are to be sold they are brought the night before and left in some field near the house for the morning. Or if the Fair is some distance away the cattle are left in the field of some oblige friend.
   On the morning of the fair there is a great fuss and commotion in the town from an early hour. Shops and eating houses are all astir and the noise outside grows greater as the morning wears on. Each farmer in locality usually has a particular place in the street or road where he always stands with his cattle, so when he arrives he tries to get to that place.
   Very soon the buyers appear in the scene and then the business of day begins. There is often very hard bargaining. The seller tries to get the highest penny and the buyer to get the stock at the cheapest price. At last the bargain is made and there is some striking of hands and much loud talk and the animal or animals are marked. There are different ways of marking. Sometimes a mark is put on the hip of the beast with paint in a raddle or tar, sometimes a little bit of hair is cut off with a scissors or again a little mud is rubbed on. Then the money is pair either in a bank or in a near shop. There is always some little money given back. This is called "luck money" or "luck penny". The amount of it

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. activities
      1. economic activities
         1. trade
            1. buying and selling (~3,622)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Kathleen Shanahan

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Inch, Co. Tipperary