In County Galway, about ninety miles west of Dublin, sits the lovely market town of Ballinasloe. The River Suck, an affluent of the Shannon, divides the town in half. Every October, a great fair is held near Garbally Castle, the home of the Earl of Glencarty, to which large numbers of sheep and cattle are brought for barter and sale. Persons who participate in this livestock fair are called ballicatters, after the town's name and their occupation.

frugacity