Fair play — King Puck goat gets tagging order from EU chiefs

BRUSSELS bureaucrats have at last caught up with Puck Fair, one of the oldest events of its kind in Ireland.

For the first time, King Puck — the wild mountain goat that presides over three days and nights of shenanigans at the fair — will be wearing an ear tag.

Fair spokeswoman Jean Kearney yesterday confirmed the organisers had been told by the Department of Agriculture that the goat must be given a flock number and tagged.

“This is all to comply with EU regulations,” she said.

Ms Kearney added that, in any case, the goat is always “incredibly well cared for” and undergoes a veterinary inspection before and after the event.

The long-horned king of the hills has an eagle-eye view of the fair from his cage which sits at the top of a 50ft platform in Killorglin’s town square.

Around 60,000 people are expected in Killorglin for the fair which runs from August 10 to August 12 and generates an estimated €6 million.

A tribute to a king of a totally different kind will one of the highlights of a free street entertainment programme.

An Elvis Spectacular on Friday night, August 10, will mark the 30th anniversary of the death of the king of rock ‘n roll.

On stage will be Sweet Sensations and the TCB Band performing the hits from all stages of Elvis’s career from the 1950’s to the Las Vegas years.

The following night, the Glenn Miller Legacy Band, will also bring the Puck Fair crowds back in time with the 14-piece orchestra playing selection of melodies from the big band era.

On the closing night, the main act will be the internationally acclaimed traditional Irish music group, Lúnasa, followed by a midnight fireworks display.

Among the attendance at the launch of the fair, meanwhile, was Pa Houlihan whose family has been associated with the event for generations.

Now in his 90th year, Mr Houlihan is a leading authority on the storied history of the centuries-old event to which he has dedicated a basement museum at his home in Killorglin.

He said that while the fair had changed somewhat with the years, the essentials remained the same, with people still coming in their thousands to enjoy its unique atmosphere.