Fairs and match-making

MR. PATRICK BYRNE, SHERIFFS HILL LR., MOONE. (W.K. INTERVIEW)

Mr. Patrick Byrne joined the Bailen Band in 1925.

The Bailen Band used to play at the Flocken Hills. There used to be 2 or 3 days of festivities in it, around the middle or the end of July. Every old hawker in Dublin used to come to it. There would be step-dancing and pillow fights all going on. It was eventually stopped by the clergy, due to the rampant misbehaviour at it. There were other fairs like this around that time. There was one at the edge of the Curragh, near Maddenstown, called Strawberry fair, and later its name was changed to Fair of the Furs. Match-making and the like was practised at these events. There is a story of a priest in Castledermot, Father Lillis, who was against the activities at the Flocken Hills. He spoke to a nurse in Castledermot about it. She told him that there was no harm in it, and it was only a bit of enjoyment. He replied, in nine months time they?d know what good it would be doing !

[The Fair of the Furze or French Furze was a well known horse fair which only stopped in the 1950s]