CARLOW COUNCIL workers involved in yesterday’s €20,000 clean-up operation after the weekend’s Borris fair said most of the litter had been left behind by visitors rather than trading Travellers.
An estimated 10,000 people had attended the annual street fair, which is one of the most important social gatherings for Travellers from all over Ireland. A spokesman for Carlow local authorities said they had spent €25,000 on the fair, which included providing temporary portaloos.
Council cleaning crews arrived in the village shortly after 6am and, with the assistance of local Fás workers, had removed most of the refuse by noon. Adrian Gates, from the council’s Bagenalstown area office, said there was “less rubbish than previous years” and “the bulk – 80 to 90 per cent – of it was empty bottles, chip wrappings and packaging from items sold at the fair”, which had been discarded by members of the public.
Council officials were criticised for not installing rubbish skips on the main street to collect litter. But the officials said that when they had provided skips during a previous fair, local residents had “taken advantage” of the opportunity to dispose of unwanted household goods.
Some residents yesterday also admitted that, before the cleaners arrived, they had helped themselves to unsold merchandise left behind by Travellers. A woman, who did not wish to be named, said: “I got a nice table out of it.”
Local Green Party TD and Minister of State Mary White, who attended the fair, said the majority of traders had “bagged their rubbish” before leaving but “a minority had not”. She claimed it would be unfair to exaggerate the rubbish problem compared to the “unbelievable litter” left behind at events such as last month’s Oxegen music festival.
Ms White was pleased that one pub, some shops and a cafe had remained open during the fair and hoped local businesses would derive greater economic benefits in future. “The positive nature of this year’s Borris fair is a turning point in terms of local engagement and support,” she said.