MOVES to clamp down on horse fairs and market trading in Cork are being strongly resisted. Cork County Council is currently proposing to introduce new bye-laws which would radically change - and could even spell the end of some traditional horse fairs - in Munster.

The Cork bye-laws have also sent alarm through the market traders in the area including the Skibbereen Farmers Market Traders who have engaged Kenmare solicitor Conor Murphy to act on their behalf.

As currently set out, the new Cork County Council bye-laws require every person selling a horse, pony, donkey or ass, to apply for a Casual Trading Licence nearly one month before the date of the event.

To get the €10 licence, each person would have to supply a lot of information including their name, address, PPS number, tax certificate and insurance details among a raft of other requirements. The licences are not transferable and can be refused.

In addition, only people over the age of 16 are allowed in charge of horses while Cork County Council also wants to ban all dogs from horse fairs designated areas. Horses cannot be trotted, cantered or galloped and no “unfit’’ horses are allowed either.

Athlone’s Jim Derwin, one of the country’s biggest horse dealers, slammed the move to curb traditional horse fairs. Jim Derwin, whose family have been trading horses for generations, told The Irish Field: “We buy thousands of horses and ponies across Ireland each year. The fairs are a very big part of my business and we sell them all over the world.

“I’m gobmsacked at what they are trying to do in Cork, it is absolutely ridiculous, the fairs will go on anyway as they are for the people and people are doing horse trading for centuries. It is the oldest trading in the world. Fairs like Spancil Hill and Ballinasloe are known around the world. Fairs contribute money to the Irish economy. People come to Ballinasloe to holiday and stay at the time of the fair, they may not buy a horse or they may but they are spending money being here. It’s good for the country. I think this is a ridiculous thing they are trying to do in Cork.

“It will lead to a rise in the number of horses and ponies being abandoned if people cannot take their horses and ponies and donkeys to the local fair to be sold without having to get a licence. Fairs put a bit of money back into the pockets of the people that need it and what’s wrong with that? People always traded for a bit of cash in their pockets, the elderly person with a horse or pony to be sold. What about them? Fairs are a way of ordinary people making a bit of money, vital income to many of them. Making all these kind of rules that people can’t keep up with, this move in Cork against the fairs has got to be stopped.

“That’s what is wrong with this country. We have all sorts of people making rules. If I was in charge, and people like me, we’d have the whole place sorted out for the better of everyone,” said Derwin.

Pavee Point spokesperson Ronnie Fay told The Irish Field: “There is failure in this on the part of the County Council to recognise the wider societal importance and value of market trading, street fairs, and horse fairs. Cork County Council appear to be putting pressure on those involved rather than supporting them to continue these socially useful initiatives.

“There is no effort on the part of Cork County Council to support them to comply with necessary regulation of such activities. There is a scale of economic activity involved here that is limited and its viability depends on such supports. These supports are merited because of the social importance of this activity.

“Cork County Council needs to recognise the importance and particular circumstances of the entrepreneurs, settled and Traveller, involved in these activities. Such recognition would start with some form of consultative process on bye-laws with these groups. There has been no such consultation. This would not happen with any other entrepreneurs,” he added.

Meanwhile Ciaran Casey, spokesperson for MAST, a group formed in 2010 for market traders, highlighted a raft of concerns. “It would appear that all local authorities in the country are standing by to see what happens in Cork. Some degree of legislation is inevitable but these seems to be very draconian measures. “A compromise is needed. What we need to show is that events like Horse Fairs are vibrant cultural events that do not necessarily need to be regulated in this manner.”

Submissions to the Cork proposals are open to the public until two weeks after the December 16th deadline for public consultation. They must be made in writing to the Director of Corporate Services, Floor 14, County Hall, Cork. Envelopes must be marked Submission on Draft Casual Trading Bye-Laws .