Thoughts turn to 300th Ballinasloe Fair in 2022 after cancellation of this year's event
The Ballinasloe Fair Coordinating Group will meet later this year to begin planning for next year's 300th anniversary of the event which has been cancelled this year, for the second year running, due to the pandemic.
Large crowds typically congregate in the town in early October for Europe's oldest and largest horse fair.
However Galway County Council and the Fair and Festival Committee cancelled all activities for 2021, due to public health concerns, in a decision which was unanimously agreed by Ballinasloe Municipal District Councillors.
Local Fine Gael Senator Aisling Dolan said this week that the second successive cancellation of the high-profile event had been a difficult but necessary decision.
"It has been such a tough 18 months for all in our community during lockdown. With the vaccination roll-out we are in a better place.
"However, we still have 310 families with loved ones in hospital, and 66 people in ICU, and people are still losing their lives due to Covid-19.
"This pandemic has shown us how quickly more infectious strains can develop and we have to continue good social distancing and manage our own safety in crowded areas so we can protect our loved ones.
"People locally know how difficult it has been working on the frontline in Portiuncula Hospital, and in our emergency services as well as in our shops over the past 18 months, and we need to stay strong.
"It is difficult to manage non-ticketed outdoor events with large crowds, and for these reasons the fair has been cancelled this year.
"It is a difficult decision for locals, businesses, associations, and visitors who love the Fair, however, with the interests of our health and safety at the heart of it.
"In 2022 we will celebrate the 300th anniversary of this incredible international event. The Fair and Festival Committee, business community, clubs and organisations will all be working together to plan for a fantastic programme of events next year and will be keen for volunteers.
"I look forward to welcoming our visitors to Ballinasloe next year in 2022 and to celebrating in a safe way and hopefully in safer times.
"We also have a number of upcoming events in Ballinasloe with the spooky Halloween Zombie walk at the end of October, and we will have kick-off our Christmas Lights festival in mid-November, so there's lots to look forward to for locals and visitors too," said Senator Dolan.