The annual ritual of bringing down the goat has taken place in the mountains in Co Kerry in advance of the festival of Puck Fair in Killorglin this weekend.
The goat, a black-and-white puck, was caught on Monday afternoon. The chase to find a suitable candidate extended the length of the Caragh river and the mountains overlooking Rossbeigh Strand, from where Oisín left for Tír na n-Óg.
Both legend and fact have helped the fair to thrive. There are historical references to it around the Cromwellian era, but many link the fair to a harvest festival in honour of Lugh, the pre-Christian god of light and genius.
This year's goat was found where the Caragh river comes off the Seefin mountain. He has been fed on herbs and willow leaves and was ready to pose for pictures yesterday.
The puck (named Arthur after the fair's major sponsor, Guinness) is ten years old. He is one of the oldest goats in some time, said Mr Frank Joy, the fair's chief goat catcher for many years.
"A lot of people think the puck is a garden goat. There are plenty to witness this year that this is not so. (Catching him) was a difficult task, there was wind and rain," Mr Joy said.
En route, they came across last year's king puck, Bertie, named after An Taoiseach. A puck may only reign once. He was doing fine in the company of up to seven nanny or she-goats, and "he seemed to have no problem with the women", Mr Joy remarked.
A crew of local Frenchmen joined the chase for the second year. They included Mr Sébastian Joubert, an archaeologist with the NRA; Mr Franck Guérineau, an engineer; Mr Ronan Salmon, who works in the Institute of Technology, Tralee; and Mr Lilian Mével, who works in FEXCO, the financial services company in Killorglin.
With them was Mr Damien Keohan, an engineer from Dublin. For the first time, a woman completed the chase.
Ms Jenny Moore-O'Farrell, Guinness representative, said she was in awe of Mr Joy's knowledge and handling of the goats.
Other stalwarts of the chase included Mr Jack Shea and Mr John Shine, along with Mr Francis Joy. Arthur will receive veterinary attention before his coronation on Sunday, and again before he is taken down from his stand on Tuesday and allowed back into the wild.
A campaigner to raise the profile of the wild goat, Mr Joy lamented their decline amid reports that they are being shot by forestry staff and landowners because of their damage to trees.