The Weighing Rights

During the market, everything bought and sold by weight needed to be weighed by an independent body so that there could be no argument as to the amount that was being purchased. The "weighing rights" of the town in the 50's and 60's belonged to the Fahy Family who also owned the toll rights to the town. The toll rights were a licence for them to enforce a tax on people who entered or left the town after doing business on market day. The weighing rights entitled the Fahy family to weigh, and charge for weighing, produce on sale in the town and it also meant that it was against the law for any other person to charge for weighing goods in the town. The scales used for weighing were located outside the weighhouse which is beside where Fallons stands today on the Creggs road. The scales were hung from a triangle which still stands today. Weights were placed on one side of the scale and produce on the other to determine the weight of produce for sale. A second method of weighing was located on the Kilkerrin Road. This consisted of a large platform, which is still there today at ground level, and a shed in which the mechanism for weighing was held. These platform scales were used to weigh carts and their contents. In 1962 a storm destroyed the shed for the platform scales and was never replaced and by the 1970's markets were getting smaller and there were only small amounts of produce which led to the ceasing of the scales being used for weighing in the town. Today the weighing rights of the town belong to Malachy Mooney although they are never enforced.