European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday october 1, 1978 the stars and stripes Page 3 thousands of horses together with their cloth capped owners fill the main Street in Kitrush at one of Ireland s great horse fairs where horse laughs really do occur. The mane event Story and photos by j. King Cruger staff writer the great horse fairs of Europe where hundreds sometimes thousands of steeds were bought and sold now Are no longer. Only in Ireland in the Early fall do the great horse fairs live on with the greatest of them All thriving at Ballin Sloe a nor Mally Dull Little agricultural town some 50 Miles West of Dublin on the Road to Galway. A visitor to Ballin Sloe the first week in october soon realizes that this is no Ordi nary week in town. A walk up the Hill behind the main Street brings one to an open Field in front of an old Church and there especially Early in the week May be gathered 3,000 horses. Horses Are every where. In two and threes and strings of eight or ten. Some Are tied to Trees some to railings or trucks and others perhaps merely held on rein by would be Sellers. The atmosphere is supercharged with excited whinny Ings. Wheeling and dealing is everywhere As the largely country people try to get the Best of each other in deals. When a Deal is finally made custom Calls for hands to be spat upon and clasped. Occasionally a shouted warning goes up As a rider wildly gallops his horse to show it off. The fair goes on for a week with big crowds of buyers Sellers tinkers and sightseers on hand. It is one of the oldest horse fairs in Europe and tradition says that Napoleon s Charger was bought at Ballin Sloe but nowadays most of the Stock is pretty Ordi nary. This in t the Case at the autumn horse fair at Kitrush in county Clare where a huge one Day session takes place just after the close of the Ballin Sloe Mart. At Kil Rush the Only Street of any substance fills with thousands of Classy horses Many of them racing Stock together with their dark suited cloth capped handlers. It s mostly a Man s world As the gents talk argue gossip Greet old pals and bargain. One of thousands of horses gathered in Field in front of the Church at Ballin Sloe and two traders looking Forward to the fiddle music that will fill the pubs come Nightfall