Puck Fair 2022: Everything you need to know about Ireland's oldest festival
Goat catcher Pat Cahill and his son goat warrior Matthew (10) pictured with a wild mountain goat captured near Ireland's highest mountain Carrauntoohill who will be coronated as 'King Puck' at the annual Puck Fair in Killorglin County Kerry. Photo: Don MacMonagle
It’s that time of year again. Ireland’s oldest festival is set to get underway in Killorglin, Co Kerry for a fun filled three days — all centred around a goat.
The Puck Fair is held every year in the town from August 10-12, starting off with the crowning of King Puck and ending with a firework display and releasing the selected goat back into the wild.
Here is everything you need to know about the wonderfully wacky event and its historical roots.
As those familiar with the Puck Fair will be well aware, the goat is the most important part of this festival. In Irish, Puck Fair is Aonach an Phoic, meaning “fair of the he-goat”. Ahead of the festival, a male goat is captured before he is hoisted above attendees in the town square. The goat is brought to the Queen of the Puck who crowns him ‘King Puck’, signalling the start of the three-day celebrations.
On the third and final day, the goat is returned to his home in the mountains nearby.
The Puck Fair states that the welfare of the goat is of utmost importance to all of those involved in organising the festival. Organisers say that strict protocols are in place to ensure this welfare and are overseen by a veterinary surgeon who regularly examines the goat.
With this year's festival taking place in the midst of a heatwave, the goat may even be given a fan to help cool him down, a fair's spokesman has said. If the heat gets too much, the goat may also be taken down a level.
The first recorded mention of the Puck Fair, which is known as one of Ireland’s oldest festivals, was as far back as 1613. This was when King James I granted a charter recognising the fair’s legal status, but it is believed to have been in existence long before this.
The exact date of the first Puck Fair is not known, and various attempts at tracing its roots have failed. There are various theories and legends about its origins. One such theory comes from the time of Oliver Cromwell. It is believed that while his men were ravaging Killorglin’s surrounding areas, a goat (Puck) broke away from its herd and found its way to the people of the town and warned them of what was coming.
Another suggests that the festival is linked to pre-Christian celebrations of a fruitful harvest in which the male goat, or “Puck”, was a pagan symbol of fertility.
“Whatever its origins, the fair has long been and continues to be the main social, economic and cultural event in the Killorglin Calendar,” the official Puck Fair website states.
Each year a girl is selected from one of the primary schools in the Reeks District as the queen of the fair or Queen Puck. The chosen schoolgirl must write an essay and be interviewed by a panel. This year’s Puck Fair Queen is sixth-class student, Alesha from Scoil Mhuir who wrote about her memories of attending the fair with her granda.
“My favourite part of Puck Fair is watching the parade on the first day when the queen crowns her king,” she said in her essay. “Listening to all of the lovely Irish music playing through the town, looking at all the fun stuff in the stalls, and of course the fun fair and on the third day of Puck, the amazing fireworks display.”
The Puck Fair takes place every year on August 10, 11 and 12 in Killorglin, Co Kerry and includes a jam-packed three days of activities, events and entertainment.
This year, as is tradition, the Puck Fair kicks off with a horse fair with other events taking place throughout the morning such as a puppet show and traditional music, before the coronation on Wednesday afternoon. The coronation ceremony will follow a parade around the town.
After the crowning of King Puck, the second day is fair day with plenty more entertainment taking place, including an opportunity to meet King Puck and grab a picture with him.
On the third and final day of the Puck Fair, also known as The Scattering, King Puck is dethroned and the festival closes for another year with a midnight fireworks display. It is on this day that the goat is returned to his home in the mountains.
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