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| "FAIR DAY," NEW ROSS, CO. WEXFORD.- The grandfathers of the sturdy country people shown in the sketch, attending to the onerous duties imposed on seller and buyer on "Fair Day" in nearly all Irish towns of any importance, made a very different use of horned cattle in the streets of New Ross a hundred years ago. It is stated by some historians of the great rebellion that the insurgents drove before them, at the points of their pikes, a herd of bullocks (steers) and, thereby, threw into confusion the English artillery that defended Three Bullet Gate. By this stratagem, borrowed from the tactics of the Romans and Carthaginians, who, however, used elephants to break the ranks of their enemies, the so-called "rebels" captured the cannon and turned them against the British troops, whom they very nearly succeeded in destroying. The story of how the Wexfordmen won and finally lost the battle is told in another sketch. "Fair Day" attracts to town the farmers, great and small, of the surrounding country. In general their men drive in the cattle that are to be exposed for sale the preceding night, so that they may be well rested before the Fair begins. Toward evening, when the work of the day is done with, "droughty neighbors" adjourn to the adjacent taverns and have a social bowl together. The people of Wexford are noted for their steadiness and their conduct is always orderly. |
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