School: Davidstown (roll number 9682)
- Location:
- Davidstown, Co. Wexford
- Teacher: Marion G. Brennan
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0901, Page 270
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- XML “Fairs”
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- Information received from pupils generally, except re. Moneyhore Fair.
No fair is now held in this district, the nearest being in Enniscorthy, 4 miles away. At Moneyhore a fair was formerly held & this fair was remarkable for the faction fights which were a feature of it. Blackthorn sticks were sold at the fair & the parties fought until all the sticks were broken. Mr. John Hassey (79) Toberona remembers the fair of Moneyhore & the faction fights.*
Formerly - up to 25 years ago - pig-buyers came around & bought pigs at the houses. Now all pigs are taken to town to be sold. Cattle buyers sometimes come, & farmers love to see them, tho' they sell to them because the fact of their coming is a sign of a "stir" & farmers are too wary to let them get away with a bargain. In Enniscorthy the fair is held on the streets, on the pig market hill, on the fair green & on the Bridge. Luck money is generally given. About 10/- for a horse, 5/- for a cow or bullock, 2/- for a pig, 1/- per head of sheep.
In a fair buyers often spit on their hands & then "smack" palms with the seller. Animals are often marked on the ear, by clipping hair on the side.
A fair is held every month in Enniscorthy, & there are two in
Sheep, bonhams & horses are sold at the Monthly fairs, but there is also an Annual Sheep Sale at the Show Grounds. This sale is conducted by an auctioneer.
* Some say the fairs were held every Tuesday at Moneyhore & that there was a faction fight after every fair. Others say there was one faction fight & that put an end to the fairs.- Collector
- James Doyle
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 12
- Address
- Templescoby, Co. Wexford
- Informant
- John Doyle
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Templescoby, Co. Wexford