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Cattle Fair in Eyre Square (11 06 2015 repeated 18 06 2015)
Deltiology is the name given to the practice of collecting old postcards, from the Greek Deltos, “writing tablet, letter”.
Anyone who has studied the changing face of their locality through old images will realise that one of the great sources can be old postcards. Topographical views on postcards became very popular towards the end of the 19th century and that trend continues today. The publishers of these cards often reproduced unusual views as you can see if you read Paul Duffy’s two books Galway, History on a Postcard and Galway City, Snapshots through Time, both of which are highly recommended.
Usually, postcards are sent within a few years of publication, so the postmark can help to date them. Occasionally, the publisher would have a black and white photograph hand coloured and reproduce this as a coloured card. These are known as photochromes. Such is the case with our image today of a cattle fair in Eyre Square which was originally taken c.1900 and published by O’Gormans. It was taken during the summer as the trees (some of which look quite young) are in leaf. There are iron gates into the park to match the railings as the Browne Doorway had yet to be transferred to the Square from Abbeygate Street. Part of the statue of Lord Dunkellin can be seen behind the trees. A number of advertisements hang on the railings.
Cattle fairs were originally held at Fairhill (that’s where the name came from) before moving to the Square and in more modern times to the Fairgreen. They were regular events, and as you can see, always attracted a lot of business and often overflowed onto streets like Williamsgate Street or Forster Street. If the farmer did not sell, he had to drive his cattle all the way home again. If he sold his cattle, he would spend some of the money in town before heading home.
There were other occasions where the country people came into the Square such as horse fairs, pig fairs, sheep fairs, hay markets, egg end butter markets, turf markets, sock markets etc. A fair that had no dignity was the hiring fair, where groups of labourers known as Spailpíns would line up against the railings opposite the Skeffington Arms in the hope of getting a week’s work or even a day’s work.
Any of you who are interested in old postcards should look up Whyte’s Auctioneers in Molesworth St. Dublin at their website, whytes.ie. They have an auction of collectibles this Saturday which includes a remarkable number of old cards from almost every county in Ireland, including some collections from Galway City and County, well worth a look.
