18. BF Hirings Fairs

Location: The Diamond, Donegal TownNarrators: John Ward/Mairead McNultyPatents for these days go back as far as the early 1600s when Sir Basil Brooke had taken over the castle from the O'Donnells. The fair day was held on the second Friday of each month while the market occurred every Saturday.Signs and symbols were used to show availability for work: men carried sticks, straws, tools or a bundle under their arm whilst women wore aprons and string bags. All those hired went through the ritual of being examined and questioned about their ability to milk cows, thresh or carry out other farm or household chores. It was very much the survival of the fittest with only an early-risers being sought. Weak or feeble individuals were ignored as they stood forlornly in line at the fairs. The more experienced farm hands were known as spalpeens and would have emblems of their capabilities.With major social and economic changes in farming in the 1930s, the practice of hiring declined. The introduction of social welfare benefits in the early 20th century also meant workers increasingly wanted to work and be paid on a weekly basis; whilst new legislation began to push youth into education rather than work. By the mid 19th century, they were a thing of the past, but I can think of one friend whose father was part of the Donegal Town hiring fairs, so they are not quite the distant horror story they deserve to be. Sean Beattie's article has more on the fairs: https://historyofdonegal.com/derry-hiring-fairs-sean-beattie-recalls/© 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please.SPOTIFY: This platform has allowed us to be creative in ensuring you can access it on your smart phone with ease. Below are the Spotify options: -Celtic Calendar playlist - no music, just audio of all four festivals.Samhain folklore - music and lore for SamhainImbolc folklore - music and lore for ImbolcBealtaine folklore - music and lore for BealtaineLughnasa folklore - music and lore for Lughnasa