No room at the inn as Ballinasloe Horse Fair kicks off

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Written by Staff Reporter

Wednesday, 26 September 2007

Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs within a 20-mile radius of Ballinasloe are booked out this weekend for the annual October Fair, which kicks off this Saturday.

MEP Liam Aylward will be the guest of honour, launching the fair on Sunday afternoon along with committee members and local dignitaries.

The focal point of the festival will be the Fair Green in Ballinasloe, which will host the two main days of the Great October Horse Fair (Sunday and Monday). This will see hundreds of horses and ponies traded in a traditional fair manner.

The October Ballinasloe Horse Fair is known as the greatest and longest running Horse Fair in Europe. Steeped in tradition, this momentous annual event dates back to the 1700s. Ballinasloe Horse Fair attracts up on 85,000 visitors, from all over Ireland as well as the UK, Europe and worldwide bringing with it an injection of an estimated €8.5 million to the local economy.

The fair has seen many new developments in the last few years, with a nine-day festival programme, which offers entertainment for young and old. A symbol of the great community spirit that exists in the town, the Ballinasloe Horse Fair is organised annually by a voluntary committee and the majority of events are sponsored by local businesses.

For further information, check out www.ballinasloeoctoberfair.com.

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