Aquarium to fly in penguin suitors

An aquarium is set to fly in four young male penguins to their polar-style pad to help produce the country’s first ever gentoo penguin offspring — after their elderly penguin Hef failed to live up to his famous name.

The 22-year-old male — named after the Playboy founder — hooked up with the seven-year-old playmate Candy over a year ago at their €1 million Antarctic quarters in the Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium which is home to a dozen of the creatures.

The penguin pair slept together with their heads side by side under their wings in their roost for more than a year but the aquarium’s director, Kevin Flannery, said the eagerly awaited eggs from the lovebirds have failed to materialise.