Goats, it seems, are climbing onto cars in County Clare. Two young ones were said to have been electrocuted when they invaded an ESB installation. Councillors are calling for action but they don’t want the animals to be culled. Castration has been suggested.

At least two members of the herd of feral goats which has been rampaging through Ennis, Co Clare, in recent weeks have been identified as Old Irish goats — an ancient breed protected under the Convention of Biological Diversity.

In a world ever more dependent on industrialised framing — and the horrors that intensification can inflict on animals — we seem to have developed a reluctance to confront our obligation to manage wildlife populations to protect the quality of life and security wild animals can enjoy.

Interest in goat farming is on the increase, according to Teagasc, which attributes the trend to two main factors.

"We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"