Dublin’s Smithfield Square was filled with the echoing clatter of horseshoes on cobbles this past Sunday, as hundreds of equine enthusiasts from Britain and Ireland congregated to challenge limitations on local horse trading fairs. Mostly comprised of male family members and young ones, they began congregating at the city square from around 10.30 in the morning, with a steady influx of horse-drawn carts from the quays.
Authorities set up checkpoints both for the Garda and Revenue near the location to control incoming and outgoing traffic. Additionally, animal welfare representatives from Dublin City Council were dispatched to conduct routine checks throughout the vicinity. The mass assembly, which saw a contingent of police personnel in regular and riot gear and some on horseback, was a contravention of the new bylaws restricting event days on the square, voiced Colm Kiernan, part of Smithfield Horse Fair Committee.
Kiernan also expressed the necessity for revoking the €10 one-off trading permit required for the biannual participation in the fairs. “It’s unprecedented in Europe to levy entry charges for a fair. I was introduced to these fairs as a child by my grandfather, and back then, we were never obliged to pay an admission fee. There are no charges attending fairs elsewhere like in Ballinasloe or Appleby [Cumbria], or any other fair for that matter”, stated Kiernan.
He also questioned the need for providing Personal Public Service numbers at the fairs. He contended, “If we provide our PPS numbers, we become targetted. When you own a significant monetary value animal like a horse, you are questioned if you draw social welfare, whereas owning ten cars won’t arouse any suspicion. This bias is unacceptable.”
Kiernan emphasised on the horse fairs at Smithfield as an embodiment of their historical heritage and tradition, harking back to eras. “My progenitors, including my father and his father, have been attending this for as long as they lived”, he added. Natalie Kiernan, Colm’s granddaughter, also echoed the sentiment that these fairs have been ingrained in their family for multiple generations.
Horse culture is not something unfamiliar to us and in fact, it’s deeply ingrained in how we live. Contrary to popular belief, there are many devoted horse owners who keep their horses in excellent condition,” she asserted. “Obviously, there might be the odd case of horses not being properly cared for, but it is unfair to blanket judge us all. Spanning six generations, we’ve been part of this. I hope, God willing, that when my eldest, almost 19, has his own children, he’ll carry on this tradition. ”
In the vicinity of the conversation, Brad and Jim, both from Durham in England, are attentively listening and agreeing with her observations. They’ve made the trip to the Dublin fair to bolster the local merchants. “We’ve been taking part for many years, haven’t we?”, Jim interjects, “It’s a longstanding tradition that we must preserve.”
Regulations established over 10 years ago limit this fair to just two times a year, on the first Sundays of March and September from 9.30am till 1.30pm. They also mandate that every horse must be under the control of an individual aged 16 or above, and must not trot, canter, or gallop. Moreover, anyone who wishes to bring a horse to the fair must hold a casual trading licence, with a fee of €10.
The rules were put in place back in 2013 after the local city council had made multiple attempts to either close down or relocate the fair since the 1990s when substantial funds were invested in the rebuilding of Smithfield Plaza. Over the decade, the two annual fairs have proceeded smoothly for the most part, yet there have been a few illegal fairs held recently.
As of Sunday afternoon, the local law enforcement agency had not reported any incidents of public disorder or arrests related to the protest. The city council had not reverted to any inquisitions as of the time of reporting.
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