Celebration of rural heritage and crafts at Tyrrellspass fayre

Tyrrellspass Olde Fayre Day returned for its second year on Sunday, bringing an estimated 1,000 visitors to the village for a day celebrating rural heritage, traditional crafts and vintage machinery.

Gordon Maxwell, chair of the Olde Fayre Day committee, said the event had originally grown from the annual Tidy Towns event before the Covid-19 pandemic brought it to an end. “We restarted, but we reinvented it as the Olde Fayre Day,” he said.

The decision to bring the event back was based on an interest in the rural history and the traditions of the area. Gordon said the concept reflected the rural character of the community and it had received a strong response from those who attended the first event last year.

The committee estimated that around 1,000 people attended in 2025, although Gordon said it is difficult to establish as there was no entrance fee this year or last year – the event operates on a donation basis.

“There were a lot of people asking us if we were doing it again this year,because they enjoyed it so much last year,” he said.

This year’s event featured a range of demonstrations and displays, including live threshing, butter making, basket weaving, old saws being in use, and traditional farm tools.

Visitors could also see hand dyeing using natural extracts from local berries, and a sustainable living display was also included.

Four teams competed in the tug-o-war at 4pm and David Lynam Construction won after beating Gonoud’s Bar in the final.

Among the more unusual exhibits was the ‘Bog Man Metals’, creations made from metal objects found in local bogs and welded together to represent the environment in which people worked in previous generations.

Bog Man Metals, made by Nigel Henry from Croghan, showcased a handmade replica of his grandfather’s working equipment. Nigel said he had created the pieces after walking through the bogs and began replicating objects associated with his grandfather.

Among the items was his grandfather’s shovel, given to him 75 years earlier on his first day working with Bord na Móna.

His grandfather went on to hand-dig part of a vast network of drains and was also a member of the local fire brigade, using the shovel in his work. He is due to turn 100 on November 7.

For Nigel, bringing the work to the Olde Fayre Day was significant as it was the first time he had displayed his creations publicly. “I never really felt proud until today,” he said.

The event included birds of prey, bees and a selection of farm animals, including Shetland ponies, goats and chickens. Special guests, Westmeath footballers (men and ladies) attended the event with their trophies, and more vintage cars, tractors, motorcycles and bicycles were added this year following feedback from visitors to the 2025 event.

Among the attractions for children were carnival activities, traditional games, a welly throwing competition and a dunking tank.

Gordon said the committee was continuing to develop the event by listening to what visitors wanted while making use of the space available. “We’re focusing on what works, and we’re learning as we go,” he said.

The Olde Fayre Day also provided a platform for local music and traditional entertainment. The DJ Darragh Bass kept music going all day, alongside live music by Neil Moran and The Still House, along with country dancing and a performance from Castletown Geoghegan Comhaltas members.

Tyrrellspass Tidy Towns have been involved in the village for 59 years and won the competition in 1969. Organisers said they remain hopeful of achieving a strong result in this year’s competition.

Stefania Oggioni of Tyrrellspass Tidy Towns said conversations about the possibility of bringing back steam engines helped spark the revival, and the idea developed into the Olde Fayre Day held on Sunday.

With no entrance fee and funding supported by the Heritage Council, the committee rely on donations from visitors. A decision on where this year’s proceeds will be donated will be made after the event.