![\"Banaghers](\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Banaghers-Garda-Seargent-244x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The locals they were wondering
\nThey were trying to make sense
\nWhy the Sergeant wants to stop Banagher Fair
\nOr away in a field it fence…
\nWhich as with Lammas in the North
\nWhich for centuries on the street was there
\nThey stuck it in a car park of late
\nThat has nearly killed off that fair…<\/p>\n
“You must have pissed off the fairies” Now the iron mast has been upon it So we drank off, still baffled, and wonder So there might be some truth to the story So we will meet you in September For they are not fairies themselves is the consensus The locals they were wondering They were trying to make sense Why the Sergeant wants to stop Banagher Fair Or away in a field it fence… Which as with Lammas in the North Which for centuries on the street was there They stuck it in a car park of late …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[439],"tags":[718,2841,2842],"class_list":["post-2741","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-banagher","tag-banagher-horse-fair","tag-faries","tag-garda-siochana","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-Id","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1027,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/babser\/","url_meta":{"origin":2741,"position":0},"title":"Babser","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"1st November 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"My family came to Banagher in 1977 from Ballinalee in North Longford (via Clones, Athlone, Daingean and Moate!) and I grew up with the Banagher Horse Fair as one of my favourite memories. Due to lack of work, all three children in our family had to leave the town. Now,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Babser Hynes, the house I grew up in. Banagher Horse fair happened annually right outside the door, Its one of my favourite memories while living in the town...","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Babsers.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Babsers.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/Babsers.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4991,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/the-fairy-boatmen-of-banagher\/","url_meta":{"origin":2741,"position":1},"title":"The Fairy Boatmen of Banagher","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"24th July 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Verse inspired by a story from the folkore collection Out walking his dog on a July evening In the river there afloat What he thought were local children Our on the water in someones boat. It was getting dark as dusk was falling, So he beckoned them to shore, But\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Banagher-Bridge-e1627116412193.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Banagher-Bridge-e1627116412193.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Banagher-Bridge-e1627116412193.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Banagher-Bridge-e1627116412193.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Banagher-Bridge-e1627116412193.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/Banagher-Bridge-e1627116412193.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1389,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/reboot-banagher-horse-fair\/","url_meta":{"origin":2741,"position":2},"title":"Reboot Banagher Horse Fair…","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"26th April 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"We will see you, as a sure thing, in September On the Main Street among the proud horses there We'll walk among crowds, dogs, the shady folk and the shades At the 2015 Banagher Horse Fair... Make sure your car has no green diesel And your horse is not on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Austerity"","block_context":{"text":"Austerity","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/austerity\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3975,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/tom-moran-remembered-at-2017-banagher-horse-fair\/","url_meta":{"origin":2741,"position":3},"title":"Tom Moran Remembered at 2017 Banagher Horse Fair","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"21st September 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Banagher Horse Fair of 2017 as expected was a great success, with one of the largest turn outs seen in recent years, as a poignant tribute was paid to the late Tom Moran, a countrywide known trader from Lusmagh. As the Angelus bell rang at midday, a hush came\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Early Hours at the 2017 Banagher Horse Fair with Babsers visible beside the trees","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Early-Hours-at-the-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-with-Babsers-visible-beside-the-trees-1024x289.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Early-Hours-at-the-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-with-Babsers-visible-beside-the-trees-1024x289.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Early-Hours-at-the-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-with-Babsers-visible-beside-the-trees-1024x289.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2360,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/willie-rimes-at-the-quare-horse-fair\/","url_meta":{"origin":2741,"position":4},"title":"Willie Rimes At the Quare Horse Fair","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"12th October 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"We think there was one lawbreaker at the 2015 Banagher Horse Fair.. of course it would have to be that pal of our Cartys, the bould Willie Rhymes... the never seen member of the Tullamore Rhymers Club... awful troublemaker that lad! The 2016 Banagher Horse Fair is on September 18th!\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Banagher Horse Fair - early in the morning of the 2015 Horse Fair","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-early-in-the-morning-of-the-2015-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-early-in-the-morning-of-the-2015-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-early-in-the-morning-of-the-2015-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-early-in-the-morning-of-the-2015-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1998,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/that-beats-banagher\/","url_meta":{"origin":2741,"position":5},"title":"That Beats Banagher","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"30th June 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"They want the horse fair banished from the streets to a field Where they believe all horses should be Their spirit contained, their owners constrained Not on the streets to walk with their owners free To deal with the buyers, who bargain with the sellers As the horses stand by\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Youths enjoying Banagher Horse Fair in 2010","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-2010.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-2010.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-2010.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2741","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2741"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2741\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2743,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2741\/revisions\/2743"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2741"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2741"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2741"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nOne wag did decree
\nAnd if we did, the horse traders wondered
\nHow could that at all be
\nSure we always got along over the years
\nAnd we had no trouble with the fair until
\nThe new Sargent took up his post in town
\nLooked over by the Fairy Fort on Keeraun Hill<\/p>\n![\"Keeraun](\"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Keeraun-Hill-300x91.jpg\")
Photo: Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh (c) 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\nFor in excess of twenty years
\nSo, though they prefer wood over iron
\nThat that is not the cause it appears
\nThough some say the sergeant could be a changling
\nThough to imagine such is hard
\nThe truth must be acknowledged
\nNo where else is a horse fair opposed by a guard!<\/p>\n
\nBut the more of it we talked
\nThe more we drank the more it made sense
\nAnd at the affronterty we balked
\nSure arn’t leprechauns the trickers
\nThey tell you stuff that at all is not true
\nLike the guards who told visitors the Fair was canceled
\nThough that it was in full swing all knew?<\/p>\n
\nFairies love to trick and deceive
\nThough it truth it sounds foolish in sobriety
\nSo we must drink more to believe
\nBut the truth is stranger than fiction
\nSilly this idea we call
\nIt makes more sense than reality
\nWhich makes no sense at all…<\/p>\n
\nIn Houghs pub, Or Corrigans, or Simons Bar
\nWe will debate forth and back the argument
\nIf the Wee Folk is what our local cops are…
\nWhat can we do to make them cop on
\nIs there someone we can ask to tell
\nThat knows the old ways of dealing with this
\nThat can break from these fools the spell!<\/p>\n
\nOf the folk at the bar badly drunk by now
\nBut they have been enchanted
\nBy someone we don’t know, or how
\nWe think we may have to seize them
\nHave them exorcised by a priest
\nOr get some Holy Water sprinkled on them
\nBy Fr Pierre at the very least…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"