Tallow Horse Fair ‘cannot happen’ this year according to Waterford City and County Council. The announcement was made today – Friday, August 27 – that the Council ‘is not in a position to support’ the fair.
Due to take place on Friday, September 3, the fair is attended by hundreds of visitors traditionally; however, last year, the Covid-19 pandemic saw the 2020 Tallow Horse Fair cancelled, a decision taken by the council in consultation with An Garda Síochana.
Waterford City and County Council have undertaken erecting signs around Tallow to ward off potential traders and visitors for the event, which now will not be going ahead.
A statement, issued by the council on Friday 27th, read: “Waterford City and County Council is today erecting signs to the effect that Tallow Horse Fair cannot happen in the current year, given that it could not legally provide traffic management and road closures given the current public health restrictions”.
CONTROLS ‘CANNOT BE PUT IN PLACE’
The Council stated that following consultation with the Gardai and public health officials, it is satisfied that Tallow Horse Fair is an outdoor event within the meaning of the public health regulations and that such an event is currently restricted to 200 persons or alternatively 500 persons where appropriate attendance controls and social distancing measures are in place unless specifically designated as a pilot event by the Minister.
“The Council is satisfied that controls on attendance or public health measures cannot be put in place and that appropriate notice cannot be given to road users or other affected persons. It, therefore, regrets it is not in a position to support the Fair in the current year,” a statement from the council read.
Founded in 1910, the fair is one of the biggest annual events in the county, and the cancellation of the fair follows the cancellation of a number of other horse fairs across the country this year, including Cahirmee Horse Fair in Buttevant, Ballinasloe Fair in Galway and the Puck Fair in Killorglin, County Kerry.
