King Puck cage ritual ‘out of the Dark Ages’, say animal welfare groups

Hoisting a wild puck goat in the air in a small cage for three days above noisy crowds and loud music terrifies the animal and is in breach of new animal welfare legislation say anti-cruelty organisations.

The animal welfare groups are calling on Kerry County Council to step in and prevent the puck ritual at Killorglin this Sunday.

One organisation said the use of a live animal “pulled from the wild” for amusement in this manner was something “out of the Dark Ages”.

Puck Fair say the animal is well-treated and this year’s goat — the 401st — will have five inches of standing room between roof and horns and will be checked by a vet.

They added that wild goats were accustomed to heights. However ARAN, the Animal Rights Action Network, said Kerry County Council, which licenses the fair, should cancel the raising of the goat. The puck goat will be 60ft up in the air in “varying weather conditions” and will be “confined, terrified and confused among thousands of party-goers and drunken revellers”, John Carmody, spokesman for the animal group said.

Using a terrified wild animal in such a manner is in all likelihood a breach of the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, he warned. “The act includes freedom from fear and distress,” Mr Carmody said.

Peta, the largely Britain-based animal rights body has already called for an end to the practice.

Meanwhile, concerns were raised last year about the welfare of the goat after a new cage was introduced, with several onlookers saying the animal found it hard to stand up.

Yesterday, one of the fair’s new goatcatchers, John McGrath, said the cage was the same size as previous cages, but that the 2013 goat had been “too big”. However, he denied the goat may have been injured by his confinement.

“The goat fits the cage,” he said of 2014’s puck. Years ago, the goat would have been tied by the legs — and the closed cage allowed for an end to this practice.

Meanwhile, the fair’s long-time goat-catcher, Frank Joy, has left the fair after 24 years. Mr Joy, who had a deep interest in wild goats, was outspoken about his concern for wild goats and their decline in recent decades. particularly in Munster.

Committee members said he had decided to call it a day. A spokesman for Kerry County Council said they would refer any complaints to the Department of Agriculture.

A spokesman for the department said it had no direct role in the fair, but that the fair had a protocol in place in relation to liaising with it.

Mayor of Kerry, John Brassil, said the puck was well treated and rejected calls for its cancellation.