Businesss conducted in the traditional way at one of the oldest fairs in Europe.
Over 25,000 people attend the annual Ballinasloe Horse Fair County Galway. The fair was opened by Tánaiste Mary Harney who hopes the event will be a time of fun and celebration.
Ballinasloe is all about buying and selling in the age old way.
While horse trading is the order of the day, there is no escaping jokes about the Ansbacher accounts amongst the traders. Tánaiste Mary Harney says that there are lessons to be learned from the Ansbacher scandal.
You can't get away with it anymore in Ireland... even if you're only selling horses.
Chairman of Ballinasloe Urban District Council John Molloy says that the tradition attached to the fair, which is the oldest in Europe, needs to be preserved to make sure it continues and improves.
We're glad that so many people come to Ballinasloe every October to enjoy a great occasion in the West of Ireland.
The fair generates revenue of around £3 million for Ballinasloe.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 3 October 1999. The reporter is Jim Fahy.
