by OM History Consultant
Michelle O’MahonyBallabuidhe (or Ballyboy) once described in the Cork Examiner of 1937, as the “Ascot of West Cork”, stated that this traditional horse fair was deserving of the title since it was one of those events in the social calendar that was patronised by crowds. “…The beauty and style of the people of a wide district round about, who came out in the open, as it were, for the occasion… This is an ever-popular event in the lives of the people and Ballyboy race day is one to be lovingly looked forward to by one and all”. Ballabuidhe throughout the centuries has become somewhat of an institution. The last one hundred years or so have seen it undergo many transformations and yet it still survives.
Familiar with Dunmanway? well then you will know that very few people mention the month of August here, Ballabuidhe is the start of August and also the date when the older generations would refer to the “night’s shortening and the evenings’ drawing in” “nothing beats a bag of chips from the chip vans” especially at 9.45pm when the night draws in. You could practically set your watch to it and people-watch the crowd on the Tuesday night (the traditional gathering night, prior to Fair Day), shuffle their way along the streets, browsing the stalls – bag of chips in hand. Not to forget to mention the smell of food and the whiff of deep fat fryers laden with chips wafting across the Square. You were sure to feel hungry again – even after a dinner. The common refrain I heard when young, “all this walking and talking (to those who had gathered that you had not seen since last year) has given me an appetite”. If you’ve been to Ballabuidhe, the other gastronomical refrain, is “the chips always taste better at Ballabuidhe”. Now this may be good news for the foodie connoisseurs amongst us, but for the real Ballabuidhe enthusiasts, its was less about the chatter and more about the Fair, the art of horse trading and the races and the continuation of an event, that somehow for us Dunmanway people we are keen to uphold, it’s part of the Dunmanway’s identity.
This year’s programme is reminiscent of Ballabuidhe some years ago, with music in the Square and a great itinerary. Following the last few years’ hiatus with the Covid pandemic, it’s good to see such an event receive a rejuvenation. In the course of the last 120 years, Ballabuidhe Horse Fair changed location on a number of occasions, from the Fair Field to the Square and for the races from Ballyboy racecourse to Droumleena Lawn via the Gazabo and Prospect Lawn. The Tuesday Night Gathering (as a social event) before Fair Day was also added to the event, creating a bigger sense of community in Dunmanway. This was especially the case in the 1960s-90s when the traditional holiday season was the end of July and early August. The diaspora and emigrants returned with their families to meet up with family and friends in for Ballabuidhe. It was and is a focal point for local community. Back in these years, the Doheny Home Week (as the return was known as) ran in tandem with the Ballabuidhe Races. Returning emigres took part in parades, the Belle or Queen of Ballabuidhe contest, with many headline grabbing acts providing the backdrop to an opening ceremony. I remember in the late 1980’s and 90’s being eager to see the following personalities – Dinny from Glenroe (now that’s a throwback – perhaps it tells us more about society and what everyone watched at the time than anything else), the esteemed Maureen O’Hara and headline acts such as Paddy Cole with his trumpet gracing the stage in the Square.
“Them were the days”…… in fact – them are the days… Dunmanway’s Ballabuidhe Committee continue to ensure that these traditional few days continue. Despite pandemics, despite popularity fluctuations, much like the hope for fine weather at Ballabuidhe. Ballabuidhe endures, it has a legacy. In 2026, the wheels have recently been set in motion to coincide a Gathering of Descendants from across the globe with Ballabuidhe. The perfect time to entice our global diaspora to return. The Facebook group – The Descendants of Dunmanway and West Cork, with its administrators in the USA and NZ are instrumental in getting the huge group of émigrés and descendants to exchange information on their personal history, ancestry and interconnectedness. Most of the 3k plus followers – have never set foot on Irish soil, not to mention visited Dunmanway. This is the event that will see hundreds return to their ancestral homeland. Such is the reach of Dunmanway. The modern world is getting smaller. Such an event will highlight Ballabuidhe and all of our heritage in more ways than one. As O’Driscoll in his book states-
“Ballabuidhe is a living connection to that past, an authentic and breathing historical artefact that is becoming rare in contemporary Ireland”.
As with all events, praise and criticism abounds. However- a closer look at the origins, folklore, stories etc all set Ballabuidhe apart from other more modern events. This is an event that has endured – our tumultuous history, our colonial past, world wars and even Napoleon himself is supposed to have looked at the bloodstock on offer and decided a horse or two from Dunmanway should join his cavalry. Though this story is claimed/shared with one or two other long-standing Fairs in Ireland. The joy of it really is that these other fairs (though not as many survive), traditionally would have taken place in an age where horses were the main stalwart of transportation. Sharing stories and whether Napoleon’s horses came from Dunmanway or elsewhere may be in debate, the finer point of history is the following fact. These Irish Fairs, especially those that still endure such as Dunmanway are all testament to the excellent quality of the bloodstock for sale then and the reputation that surrounded these Irish Fairs. The simple fact that the reputation surrounding Ballabuidhe had spread to the ranks of the Napoleonic Army – would, put simply in today’s language be termed a PR coup or a social media success.
Ballabuidhe according to O’Driscoll is a “dynamic institution” continuing an ancient tradition of Fairs. The fair is reputed to be the second oldest Fair in Ireland after Lammas in Ballycastle, Co. Antrim. It was the Aonach Mór (Big Fair) of the greater Dunmanway area, held traditionally in the townland of Nedineagh West in the ploughland of Ballabuidhe (Ballyboy), or in Irish “Beal Atha Buidhe” meaning the mouth of the yellow ford and was only about a mile or so from the ecclesiastical site of Fanlobbus. The setting was ideal as the plan and natural elevation of the site provided a “natural grandstand” with the field being of “sufficient size to accommodate crowds and horses” – a natural amphitheatre.
The first record dates from 1615 when King James gave Randal Óg Hurley of Ballinacarriga Castle the right to hold a fair on July 25th and the day after. This was documented in Richard Caulfield, The Council Book of Corporation of Kinsale from 1652-1800. There was a traditional Clan Gathering occurring annually on 5th August and the Ballabuidhe Horse Fair in time changed its dates. In a curious irony the Doheny Home Week or the past and the forthcoming Dunmanway Gathering in 2026 really are continuing that medieval Clan Gathering trend in early August. It also could be argued it was part of an earlier tradition that predated the 1615 patent, since the festival was held “within the dates of the 25th of July and August 12th, the period of the Lughnasa survivals” (MacNeill, Maire, The Festival of Lughnasa, 1982).
Where did the Tuesday night, eve of the Fair Gathering originate? Sir Richard Cox received additional patents for a Tuesday Market and other patents allowing for fairs in November and April in 1693. In the 1740s there was a thriving linen industry in operation in Dunmanway, for which the town was famous. Workers for the linen industry were enticed to move to Dunmanway from other areas, most notably northern Ireland and Scotland. A new element started to permeate the events surrounding Fair Days. The eve of the fair was to be dedicated to the sale of yarn and “the holding of competitions related to linen manufacturing until” its demise in 1800s.
A helping hand -in the mid-19th century came with the advent of the West Cork Railway and South Coast Railway, ensuring more crowds and visitors came to assess the bloodstock and partake in events. Traditionally, people attended Ballabuidhe on foot or via the horse and cart. The railway brought the event to a wider audience, there even was a stop at Ballyboy in 1866. The erection of a siding and loading bank in the fair field facilitated the transportation of purchased horses at Ballyboy Fair Field.
In the 1890s a decline set in and as often happens with annual events, support dwindled. To counteract this some commentators felt the Fair required a more centralised location. In 1898 the Fair was transferred to the “Gazabo” at the edge of Castle Street. Numbers increased. By 1900, the Fair had 2,000 horses attend. Buyers soon began to conduct their business in the town streets and other sellers also attended, moving away from selling horses in the Fair Field. Over the last century, the Fair gained acceptance as an event that took place on the Wednesday of the overall Ballabuidhe programme, while the traditional races took place in various locations including Prospect Lawn. For a time, the continuity of these traditional fairs was under threat with the invention of the automobile, however the traditional fair survived.
The Ballabuidhe Race Committee rented the various locations until they purchased Droumleena Lawn as a permanent holding in 1952. This move invigorated the festival as back then very few Festivals around Ireland could boast their own grounds. Today the BRC- Ballabuidhe Race Committee continue this trojan and historic task of continuity, of a legacy that is more than 400 years old. For this they are to be commended. The races cover many categories, flat racing, harness racing and trotting. Ballabuidhe and Dunmanway became an international attraction on the equine calendar.
Despite recent decline, Dunmanway and the Ballabuidhe Festival continues to evolve and become an event, aligning itself with current day trends, while still pursuing that sense of community and familiarity that is the essence of Ballabuidhe and the West Cork Lifestyle.
Sources
- The Ascot of West Cork by Mervyn O’Driscoll.
- Ballabuidhe 1615-2015 – A Social History– Kieran Connolly.
- The Descendants of Dunmanway and West Cork – Facebook group.
- Visit Dunmanway website.
