| Killorglin, Co. Kerry is the venue for one of the | | | | them time to protect themselves and their stock. |
| oldest and definitely most unusual festivals in | | | | Another legend relating to the festival details that |
| Ireland. The festival is held every year in early | | | | an Act of British Parliament empowered the Lord |
| August for three days, when King Puck is | | | | Lieutenant in Dublin to make an order making it |
| honoured over three raucous, wild and amusing | | | | unlawful to levy tolls at horse, cattle or sheep |
| days and nights. Before the festival begins, a | | | | fairs. Tolls in Killorglin were collected by Mr. Harman |
| group of people go up into the mountains and | | | | Blennerhassett. He enlisted the services of the |
| catch a wild billy-goat, the goat is then brought | | | | young Daniel O'Connell who directed |
| back to the town and the Queen of Puck Fair, | | | | Blennerhassett to hold a goat fair as goats were |
| who is a sixth class student form Scoil Mhuire | | | | not covered by the legislation. Thus the fair was |
| crowns him 'King Puck'. The goat is then placed in | | | | held with a goat hauled high over the town to |
| a cage and hauled up high over the town and the | | | | show to all that the fair was indeed a goat fair. |
| festival commences. The most common story | | | | Blennerhassett collected his tolls and the town |
| relating to the origins of King Puck accounts that | | | | gained a king. |
| while Cromwell's roundheads were pillaging | | | | |
| neighbouring villages, they routed a herd of goats, | | | | Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring |
| the billy goat or 'puck' broke away and headed | | | | Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, |
| towards Killorglin. His arrival in the town, soaked | | | | private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and |
| with sweat and exhausted alerted the | | | | independent self drive tours of Ireland. |
| townspeople to the coming danger and gave | | | | |