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This photograph of a pig fair was taken about 100 years ago on a wet day at the top of Eyre Square. The corner we see on the right was occupied by Michael Walsh, family grocer, wine and spirit merchant, who claimed to have the most superior quality of goods always kept in stock... “A trial will convince”. In the foreground are a typical group of farmers who have travelled into town with their tall carts carrying their pigs. They have them on show with a rope tied around each animal’s leg to avoid them running all over the place. You can almost sense these farmers praying for a buyer to come along, because if they did not sell they would have to bring their pigs home again. Not all farmers had the luxury of carts, and those who walked their animals into town and did not sell, would have to walk them home again.

Like most towns and cities in Ireland, Galway had a lot of fairs and markets. They were a vital part of life and the economy of the city, helping to feed the local population and provide much needed cash for farmers in the hinterland.