The wild goat crowed King Puck at this year’s Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co Kerry may be given a fan to cool him down, the event’s spokesman has said.
If the heats gets too much the animal will be taken down a level also, from its traditional cage overlooking the town, Declan Falvey told RTÉ Radio’s Liveline on Tuesday after campaigners expressed concern for the welfare of the animal whose coronation takes place on Wednesday in advance of a potential heatwave.
Traditionally the wild goat spends the bulk of three days and three nights on a 50ft stand overlooking the town for the ancient festival that takes place each year on August 10th, 11th and 12th.
The puck is looked after by a team of goat catchers. A local vet monitors the goat’s health and it is given a full health check before his coronation and being hoisted on the stand. This year’s king - coloured white, black and brown - was captured in the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks.
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“The water is changed on a regular basis and a local farmer sources the best of heather,” Mr Falvey said, adding a fan will be on board the cage this year. “We will make sure we will look after the goat.”
However, animal welfare campaigners said goats were not able to cope with the sort of heat the King Puck would be exposed to on the stand this week.
Mr Falvey insisted “this is a wild mountain goat, used to living on heights”.
“A shaggy coat” insulated and protected him, he added. “We will do everything in our power and if it means keeping him down we will keep him down.”
The goat was a hardy animal and a balmy breeze on high would keep him cool, he said, adding that in recent years the puck’s cage had been made bigger.
“I uphold the tradition as best we can,” Mr Falvey said.
Concerns were first raised about the welfare of the puck goat in 2015 when an animal rights organisation said the goat’s capture and confinement was wrong under the provisions of the 2013 Animal Health and Welfare Act.
Aran, the Animal Rights Action Network, says their concerns spanned the range of the festival – the catching of a wild goat, parading it through the town and exposing it to noise and drunken revelry.
The ancient event – at least 400 years old – on the Laune river at the foothills of the Reeks mountains is back after what is effectively a three-year gap due to the Covid pandemic.
There is a full programme of events from early morning on Wednesday including the traditional horse fair and traditional music and dancing.