Dunderry Fair kicks of summer season

Dunderry Fair marks the beginning of the summer when it takes place today in Dunderry village.

The old style street fair sees dealers buying calves, sheep, lambs, goats, pigs, hens, ducks, geese, donkeys and horses.

There will also be displays of all the old handcrafts, the blacksmith/farrier will be shoeing a horse and a donkey, the tin smith, the hand weaver, butter making, and a working harness maker from Northern Ireland.

Dese and the ladies will be making colcannon and fried eggs over an old style big turf fire - nothing tastes as good.

Olive will be on the street with her three pet goats and her five pet lambs, all in need of feeding. Bottle feeding will be every two hours and all children get a chance to help feed the babies. Photos can be taken. This year she also has two cockerels, McGregor and his friend on leads.

Beans the sheep and New Candy the goat will also be in attendance, they are always a massive attraction.

There are three stages of music. Matt Leavy, Charlie Arkins, Paul Leavy, Mary O’Connor, Eddie Quinn, and Jimmy Buckley and his band are the big attraction on the main stage.

Jimmy and his band will be playing for the Jiving Competition that will be taking place, with two heats and a final.

Stage Two will be full all day long with the Glenside Ceili Band and other top ceili and dancing bands, full ceili dancing and sean nos dancing all day long.

Stage three is Buskers Corner for the day - to book into this, contact Shay on 087/8383395. Also on this stage is the Bonnie Baby and little Master and Little Miss of Dunderry.

A massive new addition to the fair this year is the Scarecrow competition, cocnisting of a scarecrow village with over 200 scarecrows booked in. The winners of this will be representing Dunderry in the All Ireland Scarecrow Competition in Durrow in Co Laois in July. Entries to Evelyn on 086/8211995.

Children’s corner will have free face painting, live puppet shows, drummers and drumming classes throughout the day, great entertainment for all the children and free.

In the main field is McFadden’s Fun Fair, at a reduced rate for small children.

Also in the main field all the way from Russia is a live acrobatic Cosack horse and rider show.

Tom Feeney the matchmaker will be in attendance , helping people find love.

For any more information, contact Gus on 086/8571627 or go to our dunderryfairdaymay8th on Facebook.

Free car parking adjacent to the village, children under 12 free and senior citizens half price, all money is donated to local charities.