{"id":634,"date":"2014-09-19T11:08:34","date_gmt":"2014-09-19T11:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/?p=634"},"modified":"2014-09-19T11:08:34","modified_gmt":"2014-09-19T11:08:34","slug":"big-government-makes-banagher-a-one-horse-town-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/big-government-makes-banagher-a-one-horse-town-blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Big Government makes Banagher a one horse town – Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

Big government has made Banagher, a town famous for its Horse Fair, for being packed with horses, a one horse town. And the recent campaign to stop the fair is just the latest in a series of oppressive measures that is tearing the heart out of this once vibrant community.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

First of the latest wave was the closure of the local fire station, along with Daingean and Kilcormac. Apparently the death rate was not high enough from house fires to merit their keeping, which should prove more to their effectiveness than need to cut back on them. But bean counters dont see things that way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

John Leahy fought to keep them, but the die was cast in Offaly County Council. More on this chancer later<\/em>!<\/p>\n

Next up, was cutbacks at the local library, which the town nearly lost altogether. With the advent of the internet, a lot is at our fingertips, but the library is still a vital resource, for local knowledge as well as for national and international. For sharing of materials such as what people cannot afford to bu, if developed right, the library will have a relevance and viability for future generations. But bean counters look for excuses to close, not for innovations to keep open.<\/p>\n

Then MIDOC was moved to Tullamroe from nearby Birr. And Birr nearly lost its ambulance too. Not enough people die to keep a doctor on call on the doorstep. Id see it proving effectiveness akin to the Fire Department. But bean counters dont see it that way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And bean counters are what we have on the council, who demolished a lovely old house to build the monstrosity of offices they have, have to pay millions back to pay for its construction, and cut back on essential services.<\/p>\n

The Horse Fair is a different affair. Spearheaded by the council, and Cllr John Leahy to my surprise, who it seems will back anything to get the popular vote. And there is why he supported the Fire Stations, a cynical exercise to get the public vote, proving himself another shyster politician who cannot be trusted.<\/p>\n

At least we know where we stand with Marcella Corcoran Kennedy. She called us “scum” when the CAHWT backed the SOS (Save our Stations) campaign with marches to Brian Cowens then offices in Tullamore at the rally’s.<\/p>\n

Yes, we who pay the taxes. We, us, we are scum. In her<\/em> eyes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Folk who think like her, organised a campaign against the horse fair. They dont like horses or the folk who like horses. Either they are seen as working class, Travellers, or as the Anglo Irish set. And in the eyes of Middle Ireland, all those are scum.<\/p>\n

Well, I love horses, and am more from the agricultural tradition, though I grew up as working class. And am happy to be seen as scum by snobs like her, cute hoor chancers like John Leahy and their ilk. And I stand by both the Traveller people, and the Anglo Irish, to whom horses are more a part of their culture and identity than they are even of mine.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In the campaign in support of the Horse Fair, Ive written a few pieces. Have a read<\/a>, enjoy<\/a> and share.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Big government has made Banagher, a town famous for its Horse Fair, for being packed with horses, a one horse town. And the recent campaign to stop the fair is just the latest in a series of oppressive measures that is tearing the heart out of this once vibrant community. …<\/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":[571,194,130],"tags":[2360,910,907,908,909,911],"class_list":["post-634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-austerity","category-blog","category-politics","tag-banagher","tag-banagher-horse-hair","tag-john-leahy","tag-marcella-corcoran-kennedy","tag-offaly-conty-council","tag-travellers","column","twocol"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7EI4f-ae","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":642,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/just-doing-our-job\/","url_meta":{"origin":634,"position":0},"title":"Just Doing Our Job","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"21st September 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The most farcical part of the attempted shut down of Banagher fair, was when John Boy Dolan got cautioned for selling HENS... when the town is awash with drugs! Its Revenue men and the Guarda\u00ed Laid siege to Banagher town To visitors it must have seemed Something major was going\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"2014 Banagher Horse Fair, smaller, but it DID go ahead!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/2014-Banagher-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":601,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/streets-of-shame-in-2014-but-banagher-horse-fair-prevails\/","url_meta":{"origin":634,"position":1},"title":"Streets of Shame in 2014 – But Banagher Horse Fair Prevails","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"17th September 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It was a scene of shame for the Garda\u00ed in Banagher this past weekend, as on the the Saturday, en force they arrived, with Revenue men and Dept. of Agriculture personnel and turned away visiting people from Banagher, telling them that there was no horse fair. A Facebook campaign is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Banagher Horse Fair - Fun of the Fair - Picture Dave Boylan","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-Fun-of-the-Fair-Picture-Dave-Boylan.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-Fun-of-the-Fair-Picture-Dave-Boylan.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-Fun-of-the-Fair-Picture-Dave-Boylan.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-Fun-of-the-Fair-Picture-Dave-Boylan.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Banagher-Horse-Fair-Fun-of-the-Fair-Picture-Dave-Boylan.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1389,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/reboot-banagher-horse-fair\/","url_meta":{"origin":634,"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":4352,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/tom-moran-lusmagh-horse-trader-remembered\/","url_meta":{"origin":634,"position":3},"title":"Tom Moran – Lusmagh Horsetrader Remembered","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"15th April 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"From youth, from Lusmagh with his stock Among the traders there From far and near, home and abroad All met at Banagher Fair. Bargained, argued, deals were struck Settled by spit on the hand More failed to agree price both thought was fair As each one held his stand. Times\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The late Tom Moran of Lusmagh","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/The-late-Tom-Moran-of-Lusmagh.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2285,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/people-power-wins-at-2015-banagher-horse-fair-and-i-manage-not-to-get-arrested-drowned-boy-forgotten-in-turkey\/","url_meta":{"origin":634,"position":4},"title":"People Power Wins at 2015 Banagher Horse Fair and I Manage Not to Get Arrested – Drowned Boy Forgotten in Turkey","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"15th September 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I managed not to get arrested at the Outlaw Horse Fair in the Wild West of Offaly... however it was a close call. I got my tuppence worth against John Leahy in support of the Fair on Radio 3, the fair went ahead was a success to spite interventions that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Outside our old house near the end of the Banagher Horse Fair.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Outside-our-old-house-near-the-end-of-the-Banagher-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Outside-our-old-house-near-the-end-of-the-Banagher-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Outside-our-old-house-near-the-end-of-the-Banagher-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/09\/Outside-our-old-house-near-the-end-of-the-Banagher-Horse-Fair.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4225,"url":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/christmas-dream-of-the-banagher-garda-sergeant\/","url_meta":{"origin":634,"position":5},"title":"Christmas Dream of the Banagher Garda Sergeant","author":"Tom\u00e1s \u00d3 C\u00e1rthaigh","date":"23rd December 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Sergeant dreamt yet another Christmas morning To find in the stocking he had hung It was another few lumps of coal Santa in rage into it had flung! For such a Grinch should get for Christmas Is was way too goof for him there What heart has a man\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Banagher"","block_context":{"text":"Banagher","link":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/category\/banagher\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The 2017 Banagher Horse Fair - going from strenght to strenght - 2018 Fair is on September 16th","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/The-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-going-from-strenght-to-strenght-2018-Fair-is-on-September-16th.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/The-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-going-from-strenght-to-strenght-2018-Fair-is-on-September-16th.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/The-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-going-from-strenght-to-strenght-2018-Fair-is-on-September-16th.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.writingsinrhyme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/The-2017-Banagher-Horse-Fair-going-from-strenght-to-strenght-2018-Fair-is-on-September-16th.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634","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=634"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":638,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634\/revisions\/638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/writingsinrhyme.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}