No llamas but alpacas turn up at oldest fair

Ireland’s oldest fair returned on Saturday to the seaside town of Ballycastle and it was as if it had never been away, with horses parading through the streets, racing along the beach and yellow man and dulse in plentiful supply.

Having missed out in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic, crowds were out in big numbers for the event which originated in the 1700s as a market at which the locals would sell their horses and trade their wares.

In modern times there has been a strong emphasis on food, crafts and fine art with the Naturally North Coast and Glens Artisan Market offering the finest in those fields to visitors from near and far.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, councillor Ivor Wallace, said: “It brings millions to the local economy.

“It’s so, so important for this area – not only for the local traders, but far wider than that, there’s people coming to stay in the local area and travelling into Ballycastle.”

Highlights of the show included horses being paraded through the town and then raced on the beach as well as a spectacular fireworks display at the marina on Sunday night.

Another big draw was the fairground which ran for all four days of the fair at Quay Playing Fields and also on the Friday night before the fair officially began.

There weren’t any llamas at the Ould Lamas Fair but they did have the next best thing when a herd of alpacas graced Fairhill Street with their presence yesterday.

They belong to North Coast Alpacas who offer an experience where people can go walking along the Causeway Coast with the fuzzy friends.

There was plenty to keep the kids entertained yesterday and today with drumming and circus workshops as well as stalls selling the latest crazes and musical entertainment on the council stage.