School: Gort an Iomaire (roll number 8379)

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1. The Local Fair

   

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   For the past forty or fifty years the local fair is held in Portumna every month, previous to this it was held every two months. The fair green, the market-place, the streets, the road leading form Portumna to Woodford, and the road leading to Eyrecourt, and the other main roads as well, that are leading out from the town are occupied by this fair on a fair-day.
   At this fair a person who buys stock is obliged to give money to Lord Harewood's servant, and this payment of money is called custom or tolls. Men are also paid to keep guard on every road leading out from the town, in order that no buyer may pass without paying the custom. It is always on the coming out from the fair that the custom is paid. There are different sums of money paid on every different animal. Twopence a head is paid on sheep and cattle and a penny on bonhams and a shilling on horses. If a person has a certain amount of sheep to sell at this fair and he sells only half them he has not to pay custom on the remaining half. The reason why custom is paid is for the up-keep of the fair-green.
   When the seller receives the price of his animal he always gives a certain amount of money to the

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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

   Cristína Mistéal

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Coolpowra, Co. Galway