The programme of events for the 2011 Ballinasloe October Fair, worth in the region of €8.5 million to the local economy, was officially launched by Mayor of Ballinasloe, Cllr Mike Kelly at a special reception at the Carlton Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe on Monday night.
Attended by sponsors, local councillors, and officials, committee members and volunteers, the launch event marks the beginning of the countdown to this long standing traditional fair which is set to attract more than 85,000 visitors to Ballinasloe from Saturday October 1 to Sunday October 9.
Speaking at the launch of the nine day programme, Tim Broderick, chairperson of the Ballinasloe October Horse Fair committee said: “The Ballinasloe October Horse Fair owes a debt of gratitude to all our sponsors and in particular to our local sponsors, without whose help this 300-year-old fair would not survive. Support from our sponsors now accounts for up to 50 per cent of the monies needed to run this historic fair, and as the fair and festival has no direct source of income from tickets or gate receipts, we are heavily dependent on this sponsorship to meet our costs which have been increasing steadily in recent years.
“Once again our main sponsor is our local hotel the Carlton Shearwater Hotel and we are grateful to them for their support of the fair particularly in these times of economic difficulty. With their support and the support of all our other sponsors, we have been able to plan a jam packed nine day programme of horse and pony competitions, street entertainment, and family events.”
Martin Daly, general manager of the Carlton Shearwater Hotel, Ballinasloe said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be associated once again with the Ballinasloe Horse Fair and Festival. This event is a major boost to the town of Ballinasloe and its hinterland and we in the Carlton Shearwater Hotel are proud of our association with Europe's oldest horse fair.”
Other major sponsors of this year’s October Fair include Ballinasloe
Credit Union, Supermac’s, Gullane’s Hotel, Domac, and Premier Proteins, all of which have consistently supported the fair over the years. Longstanding sponsors of the Ballinasloe October Fair include AIB and Noel Ryan of Premier Proteins who has sponsored the annual Premier Proteins Open Dog Show for the past four years.
Organised by a voluntary committee, Ballinasloe October Fair and Festival also receives funding from Ballinasloe Town Council, Galway County Council, Rapid, and Failte Ireland. Chairman, Tom Broderick paid tribute to the voluntary commitment given by the fair and festival organising committee and encouraged young people to become involved in helping to organise this historic event.
“I would like to commend the efforts of the fair and festival’s dedicated volunteer committee and, indeed, all who contribute to making this tremendous event such a success each year. In an age where people lead increasingly busy lives, it is fantastic to see the generosity of time given by the men and women on our organising committee. We are always interested in hearing from people who would like to help us in our preparations to stage this annual event.”
Highlights of this year’s horse fair include the Ballinasloe Credit Union Horse of the Fair Competition held in the Fair Green on Sunday October 2. On Monday October 3 the Jim Derwin International Horse Dealer All Ireland Pony of the Fair and the Hayden’s Hotel Cob of the Fair competitions take place in the Fair Green. In addition to the activity on the Fair Green on Sunday 2 and Monday October 3, Ballinasloe’s main streets will be pedestrianised for a huge outdoor market with everything from a needle to an anchor for sale.
Popular non equine events during the nine day festival include free street entertainment from the Big Generator on Sunday October 2, the 16th anniversary of the Domac Tug of War Competition nightly from Tuesday October 4 with the grand final on Friday October 7. Following the finals of the Domac Tug of War Competition, the Ballinasloe night sky will be alight with the Supermacs monster fireworks display at Ballinasloe Marina. This fantastic display signals the start of celebrations for the second weekend of the fair and festival. The festival winds up on Sunday October 9 with the Gullanes Hotel Vintage Day and the Premier Proteins Open Dog Show as well as the very popular International market attracting visitors from near and far.
For full information on the 2011 programme of events log on to www.ballinasloeoctoberfair.com or follow on Facebook www.facebook com/ballinasloefair.
