School: Darley
- Location:
- Cootehill, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: A. Newburn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1018, Page 081
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- Fair is held in Cootehill on the 3rd Friday of every month. The "Middle Market" which is the biggest comes half way between the fairs. In Cootehill the fairs are held on the fairgreen. No business of selling cattle is done up the town but pigs (Bonaveens) are sold.
Cattle are bought at cross roads and dealers go out the day before the fair to farms. The dealer may bring in the cattle or get the farmers to bring them in next day. The cattle are sent away in the train or lorry or driven by road. Luck money is always given. Agreement of a bargain is shown by slapping hands. Animals are marked with "keel". When a horse is sold the halter is given with him.
A couple of men bring in troughs stools ladders and cots and seet them out at the edge of the footpath. See "Buying and Selling" from paragraph in Pedlars to end. All that applies to fairs.
Horses are not sold in Cootehill fairs but there is a special horse fair held once a year in Muff near Bailieboro.
