’13 Aug: Republic of Ireland

Just one of the many entertainments.

Here comes the goat…

…King Puck!

A good view, almost as good as mine.

On the first day they bring a wild goat that they’ve just caught in the mountains into town. They parade around with the goat, crown him ‘King Puck’ and put him up on top of the tower for all the town to admire.

They take him down from time to time too but on the last day, when I was there and had the Perfect view, they take him down for the last time, the young girl previously named ‘Queen Puck’ removes his crown, and they cart him off to be released back into the wild where they got him.

Here comes the parade, only on the last day to say goodbye. The cart with the goat follows at the end of the parade.

Ms Wiki says:

“The fair itself is purported to be ancient but can only officially be traced as far back as 1603 ((making this the 400th anniversary)) when King James I issued a charter granting legal status to the existing fair in Killorglin. Despite this fact, its roots are still unknown.

“One of the legends of the fair is that the event pays tribute to a goat that broke away from its herd who warned the town’s inhabitants of the advancing army of Oliver Cromwell during his conquest of Ireland in the 17th century, the goat’s arrival alerted the inhabitants of danger.

“Scholars speculate that the fair’s origins stems from Pre-Christian Ireland, from the Celtic festival of Lughnasa which symbolized the beginning of the harvest season, and that the goat is a pagan fertility symbol.”

Cromwell is a HUGE villain here btw.

They look Scottish. I asked around. All the Celtic countries have bag pipers although I’m not so sure about these outfits.

Just a reminder, you say Celtic like Keltic, not like the Boston basketball team. Two people actually noted ‘oh, you’re an American and you said it right’ as if that was something so rare it was worthy of comment.

It was a small hometown parade.

Very hometown. You can see the goat on his cart in the upper-middle-right.

At the end of the parade all the pipers made the traditional circle and played a few numbers together. It was a fine and fitting end to my experience of Puck Fair.

Of course it would be going on for many hours more, until the wee hours of the morning. I will be sleeping.

August 13

That glow around their antlers must be fuzz or something because I didn’t do it, really.

Chris wants this title: “A full day of tourists again, it is hard to get any rest.”

I went walking with James again today and once again we had a gorgeous day.

Here we are walking in to the Gap of Dunloe…

…up to the first bridge.

Family! Friends! I promise, people do ask all the time ‘do you want me to take your picture’ and the next time someone asks I will say yes.

The Torc Waterfall, without much water James says since it hasn’t be raining so much in the last month.

We’re out onto the Ring of Kerry road now and went a ways in the car. It’s a tour I didn’t take because it’s a whole long day on a big bus riding a narrow and twisty road.

Ladies View named for the time when Queen Victoria visited Killarney and the residents brought all her ladies-in-waiting to see this view.

Queen Victoria stayed for three days in 1861 and now all these years later that three day visit is still a big part of so many stories.

More views around the Killarney National Park.

A four thousand year old copper mine, the oldest known. The copper mine, not the guy.

Ross Castle. I had a picture of this on the first day from across the lake, built in the 1400s and the last to fall to Cromwell.

Some views around the town of Killarney, a really delightful place to enjoy and from which to enjoy the surrounding countryside.

The place where I stayed, the Cherry Tree Guesthouse B&B had a very good location, but there were many many B&Bs with equally good locations. The young woman from India who did everything from cooking breakfast to carrying my bag up the steep stairs, cleaning the rooms, etc etc etc was very kind and did her best. Otherwise there’s not much good to say for the place which is reflected in the price and the fact that I could get relatively last-minute accommodation there during Puck Fair.

Tomorrow: Belfast!