Donal Hickey: Stags now in all their glory

It’s the time of year when the old, romantic image of the stag in the glen, standing on a rocky outcrop and commanding all he surveys, becomes real.

However, you usually hear before you see. One of the early sounds of autumn in places such as Killarney National Park is the primal roar of red deer stags as the annual October rut, or mating season, gets underway. Depending on wind direction, the sound can travel for kilometres.