Fair resemblance for Puck’s King Enda

A WILD goat soon to be crowned king of one of Ireland’s oldest pageants has been named Enda in honour of the Taoiseach.

The committee behind the annual Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co Kerry, have chosen the name because the goat captured on the Kerry mountains has similar colouring to the Fine Gael leader.

“He has fairish hair like Enda so we took our inspiration from that,” said supreme goat-catcher Frank Joy from Ballyclave, Glenbeigh, who led a three-day hunt for the goat on the dangerous clifftops of Callinafercy.

“If he does his job as King of Puck half as well as Enda Kenny is leading the country we’ll be doing all right.”

It is the 21st year in a row that Frank has filled the role of chief goat-catcher for the age-old festival that attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Killorglin on August 10, 11 and 12 every year.

“I can honestly say that this was the toughest year ever. A gang of us spent three full days on desperately rough terrain at West Oulagh and my wife, Maura, had to keep watch with binoculars to ensure we were all safe,” he said.

Frank described the three-and-a-half year old goat as “incredibly lively” after they brought him to local vet Teddy Clifford for a full medical examination.

King Enda will be feted at a coronation parade on August 10 and will be master of all he surveys from his giant pedestal in the centre of Killorglin town until the dethronement ceremony two days later.

King Enda will be formally crowned by 13-year-old Queen of Puck, Muireann Arthurs who lives at West Oulagh, very close to the spot where the goat was captured.

“It’s an amazing coincidence because this is the first time in living memory that the King and Queen of Puck Fair hail from the same townland,” said Frank who is keeping the goat grazing on his farm.

“I have to keep a very close watch on him because if he gets any chance to escape he’ll be gone like a bat out of hell.”