CELEBRATIONS to mark the 400th anniversary of the Spancilhill Horse Fair will not go ahead this year, as organisers of the world-famous event have taken the decision to cancel the festival for 2021.
The event is a much-loved focal point in the calendar for horse-traders and equestrian enthusiasts across this country and beyond, and it is very much tied to its date of June 23. “It is more or less set in stone and that’s meant we’re not really in a position to defer or postpone the fair,” explained Chairperson of the event committee Brian Clune. “The date is tied in with other big events in Clare like the Willie Clancy Summer School and then the likes of the Dublin Horse Show and the Ballinasloe Horse Fair. We took the decision to cancel over the weekend and while it’s disappointing to think that this is the second year without Spancilhill Fair, we really had no choice. Inter-county travel is still out and people aren’t yet fully vaccinated. However, we are looking ahead to 2022, God is good and we’re very positive about next year.”
The horse fair, which can attract up to 2,000 people, received its charter from King Charles of England in 1621 and since then it has been going strong. Aside from last year’s cancellation, the event was only ever called off once before, due to the Foot and Mouth crisis of 2001. “It is sad in a way that the fair won’t run on its 400th anniversary,” said vet Paddy Hassett, the committee’s PRO. “Having to cancel was on the cards, though, because we attract people from all over Ireland, England and the continent. Crowds are just not possible this summer due to the public health guidelines, we just couldn’t risk bringing people together.”
Mr Hassett noted that hopes are high for next year’s event. “The big thing is that we have really learned lessons about Covid-19,” he said. “People have taken it very seriously and it’s great that levels have fallen. Vaccinations are on the way and so there really is a positive feeling about 2022.”
The history of the fair is a long and colourful one. After centuries of independent organisation, it became the subject of a legal action in the 1920s. It is understood that the Ennis urban council made an attempt to take the fair over. Such was its popularity that the tolls people paid to trade their horses made it highly lucrative for the authority. The case went all the way to the High Court, but the fair continued to operate independently.
The date of the Spancilhill Horse Fair, as well as its importance to rural Ireland, have immortalised in song. It is hoped that next year’s event will give an opportunity to celebrate the 400-year history of the event.