Shelter in Day Long Demand on Horse Fair Day

Shelter of all kinds and types was availed of in the course of Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A good day for it: Jess Moriarty, Mount Brandon pictured in out of it at Tom McCarthy’s Bar door during Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

There was no shortage of fine looking animals in Castleisland for Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Looking out for the better weather which didn’t come in the course of Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

A bite of good hay was welcomed by this finely harnessed animal at Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Umbrellas everywhere and only the diehards hanging on at Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Prancing in the Rain: The conditions didn’t bother this rig driver at Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Bob was catering away mad all day as the rain and cold weather took its toll on the gathering at Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Dayin Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

Any port in a storm as these men conduct their bit of business in a horse box at Friday’s annual November 1st Horse Fair Day in Castleisland. ©Photograph: John Reidy

The day of the Castleisland Horse Fair will go down as anything but a grand day for the drying. It was as opposite as you could imagine.

The reflections on the rain glazed streets and paths looked about ten feet deep.

However, a man who seemed to know his stuff said that there was some serious money made and spent in the course of the weather shortened day.

From Post to Pillar

Shelter of all kinds was sought out as people dashed from post to pillar and the greyness of the day was broken only by a constant stream of multi-coloured umbrellas.

It was the kind of day on which you wouldn’t see the Market House from Hartnett’s Corner and vice-versa.

Status Yellow Warning

The Met Éireann Status Yellow warning on Thursday afternoon probably kept all but the diehards from coming to Castleisland as it was one of the smallest shortest fairs in recent years.

Even by mid afternoon there was a lot of packing up and heading away going on whereas, last year there was little or no sign of anything stirring until the pealing of The Angelus and the dipping of the sun put it in their heads.

The Sun Will Be Out Tomorrow

The man who knows his stuff also pointed out that there was a noticeable increase in the quality of animal at Friday’s fair compared to that of the most recent years.

Things and side events which seemed to come to light in the sun filled fair days weren’t as obvious or not there at all on Friday.

Meeting and Chatting

The easy tripping from pub to pub and lolloping around the streets while meeting and chatting with friends and neighbours in obliging conditions was also missing.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that it was a day like Friday that inspired the lyrics of The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow for the musical Annie.

But it won’t be out today or tomorrow either – according to Met Éireann.

We’ll look to 2020 while embracing the lines of the song and the hope it inspires in this and so many other fields of sadder realities.