By Dara Bradley

More than 60 animal welfare concerns were reported to the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) during this year’s Ballinasloe International Horse Fair.  

The NSPCA confirmed that it took 26 animals into its care following 17 separate seizures over the three main animal trading days of the famous Fair on October 4, 5 and 10.  

Among the animals seized were horses, ponies, dogs, puppies, poultry and goats.  

During the three days its inspectorate team attended the fair in Co. Galway’s second largest town, NSPCA inspectors responded to 61 reported animal welfare concerns. 

20 of these were “resolved through on-site advice to owners” and NSPCA issued 12 formal warnings.  

Welfare concerns in Ballinasloe

“While the majority of equines presented at the fair were in good condition, and we acknowledge the improvements made at the Fair Green in recent years, the number of welfare concerns identified highlights that there is still significant work to be done,” a spokesperson for NSPCA said.  

“We remain committed to working with the fair organisers, community wardens, Galway County Council, the Department of Agriculture [Food and the Marine] and An Garda Síochána to build on these improvements and strengthen animal welfare standards at future events,” the spokesperson added.  

Ballinasloe Fair was thrust into the spotlight last weekend after eight men were charged at a special sitting of Loughrea District Court held on Sunday with violent disorder at St. Michael’s Square and the Marina car park on Sunday.  

Ballinasloe-based Galway County Councillor Alan Harney, in a statement, said the final day of the fair on Sunday was “a great success”.   

“It’s a pity the media was not around to report on all of the positives of the day after all the reporting of the events of Saturday,” Harney said.  

Thanking gardaí for their “very swift response”, the Fine Gael councillor said: “We should not and cannot let the actions of a few write the whole narrative for the thousands of people in town over the weekend.”  

Europe’s oldest horse fair attracts up to 80,000 people to Ballinasloe annually over eight days.