Paul to reign supreme as King Puck
The mission: To capture a wild mountain goat which becomes King Puck and presides over the shenanigans at the Puck Fair in Killorglin from an elevated perch in the town square.
Chief goat catcher Frank Joy has been entrusted with the task for the past 22 years and, again, he has duly delivered.
“Some people don’t believe it, but we always get a wild, male goat, even if it takes several trips to the hills before we find a suitable one,” he said yesterday.
The latest specimen was cornered on Gort mountain, above Caragh Lake, during a three-hour operation at the weekend.
“He was in a bachelor herd of 12 and it was unusual to find so many bachelor goats together. But they’ll be joining the females soon when the rutting [breeding] season starts,” said Mr Joy.
It was colleague Paul Quirke who made the capture, grabbing the goat by the horns.
“The terrain was very rough and soft which made things difficult enough, but Paul is a strong man and is very experienced at this stage,” Mr Joy explained.
“This is a very healthy goat, blue in colour with a horn span of over 30ins and a grand hide. He’s eight years old and will make a beautiful puck to be admired by all attending the fair. He’s got what it takes.” The goat has been named Paul after Mr Quirke and Kerry footballer Paul Galvin.
Other members of the goat-catching team included Damien Murphy, Francis Joy, Matt and Anne Corridan, and Maura Joy.
The king-to-be, meanwhile, is grazing with a companion male goat on Mr Joy’s farm near Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry, and is also feeding on brambles, furze and ivy.
Puck Fair opens with a traditional horse fair on Friday Aug 10, also called Gathering Day, and the goat will be crowned King Puck after a colourful parade through the town.
Open air, night-time concerts will feature the Electric Céilí Band, a Garth Brooks tribute band, and The Camembert Quartet.
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