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  • Aspects of Cavan



All's fair...

The fair was often the scene of fighting and disorder. On August 12th 1830, a shooting at the fair resulted in the deaths of two men. They were called Fitzsimons and O'Reilly from Kilann parish. This incident came to be known as the "Battle of Muff". It was later concluded that the shooting had been the result of a misunderstanding. It is said that the joint funeral of the two men was attended by 100,000 mourners.

Striking a deal

The fair itself was held at the cross in Muff. You could find all types of horses there. Sellers lined the roads and buyers carefully checked the horses before making a desicion. The buyers would request to see a horse walk, gallop and run before making their final desicion.

Of course, a buyer did not immediately agree to the seller's price. It was a common practice to haggle before a price that was satisfactory to both parties was agreed. The buyer and seller both spat on their hands before shaking them which sealed the deal. A "luck penny" may even have been given to the children of the buyer or seller, or both.

These days the fair lasts only for a day. Horses are still bought and sold. There are stalls with candyfloss, sweets, games, toys and lucky dips. Hungry fair goers can grab a bite to eat at one of the chip vans. Gambling is a popular distraction at the fair and many a fair goer has lost money at the three card trick table. The Fair of Muff remains one of the oldest traditional horse fairs in the country.