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ONE of the world’s oldest cir★

cuses is struggling with a shortage of clowns as it prepares to reopen after almost two years.

Tom Duffy Circus plans to turn the Big Top lights to full beam in Mullingar on the October Bank Holiday weekend.

The 151-year- old circus has

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been the family’s lifeline for six generations – and a joy for the 80 villages, towns and cities it visits a year. Tom’s sons David and Mark put a call- out on social media looking for workers – HGV drivers, mechanics, electricians, billers, general operatives, and clowns.

“We thought we’d get a few

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enquiries but there’ve been thousands,” they said. “Maybe it’s because of us looking for clowns, who we said must be hilarious and have no old jokes!

“But it’s wonderful to see that people are still interested in what we do and have a lot of goodwill.

“They and we badly want and need to get back to touring.”