Ballinasloe Horse Fair, Co. Galway, Ireland 1985

Alasdair Jackson reports for RTÉ News from the annual horse fair in Ballinasloe County Galway.
The Fair brings a million pounds in to the local economy and 3,000 horses in to the town.... Quite simply the Fair is one long week of devotion to pleasure and the horse.
The Fair continues to go from strength to strength with the number of visitors growing year on year. Alasdair Jackson talks to some of the horse dealers at the fair about the haggling process. While prices may have changed over the years, the methods of dealing have not.
The Horse Fair is about much more than just horses with everything from fortune tellers to fairground rides from Tofts Amusements, who have been bringing their show to Ballinasloe for over 100 years. Barbara Toft describes the Ballinasloe Fair as
Ballinasloe Great October Fair is the best craic you can have in the business. It’s really mainly why we keep coming back.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 September 1985.

[@shaun5944]

This is great! All the old characters, they truly were the best days 👍👋

[@adrianobonaldo8941]

What beautiful time, no iPod no iPad, no pc, no facebook, all genuine real relation between the persons. A world that never back anymore ...or not.

[@dellhell8842]

I worked a temporary job in Ballinasloe in the mid '80s. Wasn't all totally wholesome as I remember it. The Gardai had their hands full handling drunkenness, drugs and brawls during the horse fair week.

[@adrianobonaldo8941]

@@dellhell8842 You still remember....this is a good thing.

[@herculesv1.247]

@@dellhell8842 Not much has changed lol

[@edmundpower1250]

Says you using a phone or computer 😂😂

[@afroliciouspresents3603]

Yeah, what a beautiful time.... Priests sexually assaulting children, with no one talking about it. Unwed mothers being shamed... Nuns murdering their babies. Yeah. Amazing times :)

[@gaughantony]

Great town. My cousin bought a horse in a pub in town which became the great BobbyJo, winner of the Grand National and the Irish derby. There is a statue of BobbyJo in Ballinasloe today apparently

[@seosamhv]

My favourite KZbin channel. Thank you so much for these priceless pieces of Irish history. Cheers 🇨🇦

[@JanetBerry-fi2ve]

Would anyone know the man on the right at 1.07. The man on the left is my late father. This video was recently sent to me. I have never seen it before. It’s actually very special to me as I don’t have any videos of my late father.

[@s99bf0c8]

02:50 "Madame Star" had me laughing. Back to Moore Street selling Bananas the following week no doubt!

[@dellhell8842]

2:12 Austin Deasy Minister for Agriculture. 2:20 Paul Conaughton Snr. T.D. It was sort of like 'the Ploughing' is now.

[@jamess5415]

Better days!

[@herculesv1.247]

Back then? I wouldn't agree

[@thet1375]

@@herculesv1.247 What do you mean? Irish culture heritage and identity is dead thanks to Varadkar and co. Ireland is now just an island with no identity, that has lost its way and seems to be ashamed to be Irish, a shadow of its former self. Destroyed by socialist, communist dictators who want to destroy everything Irish. Glad to have the memories though cause that's all we have, liberalism and the pc brigade have made sure of that.

[@socialpiratekeyboardwarrio6546]

Great days had in Galway

[@Riosgirl98]

Ah the good all days when all you saw were real Irish faces 💚☘

[@bepsi6204]

so are there fake Irish faces nowadays?

[@Riosgirl98]

@@bepsi6204 You're spot on, fake Irish faces with newly acquired passports. I think they are called plastic paddies in the urban dictionary 🤐

[@Tom-cl4lb]

You know that being a racist not only makes you a bad person but it also makes you look really stupid.

[@thet1375]

@@Riosgirl98 So true, Ireland has now been changed so dramatically, thanks to Varadkar and co.

[@florenceobrien2822]

Daddy lived this

[@relaxbro7671]

1985 wow

[@tribalque2232]

'Brings a million pounds to the local economy' Lol, wouldnt do much today

[@relaxbro7671]

Wouldn't cover costs for immigration

[@choctaw6838]

🎶my lovely horse 🎶

[@thet1375]

When Ireland was Ireland 😩

[@broneobraonain8506]

Is Ireland french or somthing now?

[@thet1375]

@@broneobraonain8506 Well it's not Irish anymore.

[@broneobraonain8506]

@@thet1375 how’s that now?

[@thet1375]

@@broneobraonain8506 All set for a whole fight I see. Take a look outside your front door, this year alone should be enough.

[@broneobraonain8506]

@@thet1375 Seán Óg Ó hAilpín is a fluent Irish speaker, an all Ireland winning cork hurler and captain…he might not be Irish by your narrow repulsive view of an Irish person but he embodies and contributes immeasurably more to irish culture than some little weasel like yourself posting nasty filth on KZbin, same with the likes of Zak Moradi, Liam Winnett etc

[@upsidedown1986]

1:39 Anne Doyle...

[@noelmaher4633]

When our Politicians had heads of Hair....

[@melissa0386]

All Irish people

[@iseegoodandbad6758]

It seems women from developing countries who reside in rural areas are of the highest quality. They have baby soft smooth skin, large breasts, thick luscious hair and small noses. A lot of women from cities would kill for that kind of beauty that has been lost for over 50 years!! The rural ladies of the developing world now have the keys to fertillity and feminine beauty. If they move to the big polluted cities all will be lost due to all the chemicals!!

[@fromireland8663]

What a load of horse manure. LOL!

[@sjacrane]

Not a pronoun safe space in sight