Local Fairs

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Local Fairs  [duchas:4963418]

On certain days of the year large fairs are held in Drogheda. There are small fairs held in Drogheda every week at which cows and sheep are sold. On one of the big fair days, horses are sold. It is interesting to see how the men buy and sell the horses. After they have settled the price to be paid on the horse, they shake hands over it. Then the man who is buying the horse, catches it and runs it up and down the street to test it. There are other fairs for the selling of sheep. The sheep are gathered there in thousands.
On these large fair days the tinkers and gypies come into town from all over the

Local Fairs  [duchas:4963419]

country in their carts and ponies, and enjoy themselves throughly.
There are some tinkers who are continually coming and going through the town. "Vinci" is the name of one of them. He is always stopping people in the street and asking them for money. "Wembley" is the name of another tinker. She used come round begging at the doors every week. Her husband is a sweep and he would want to know did we want our chimneys cleaned.