Puck is in luck as sun breaks out

The sun came out yesterday on the last day of what had been one of the wettest ever starts to Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co Kerry…

The sun came out yesterday on the last day of what had been one of the wettest ever starts to Puck Fair in Killorglin, Co Kerry, on Friday.

However, the weather did not dampen the enthusiasm of the six-year-old mountain goat crowned king by 12-year-old Caoimhe O'Sullivan.

Parades, street entertainment and a large fireworks display were still set for late last night. Crowds were slightly down on other years on a festival whose charter to collect tolls goes back to the reign of James I.

The fair is a homecoming festival for thousands of south Kerry natives from elsewhere in Ireland and from abroad and is a traditional meeting spot also for Traveller families.

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This year saw one of the largest contingent of Travellers with caravans lining most of the approach roads to Killorglin. Numbers of Roma people are also using the fair as a meeting point and their numbers had also increased on last year.

Up to 200 stalls lined the streets. Most pubs, which stayed open to 3am, hosted impromptu music sessions, and the streets did not clear until 6am, according to gardaí.

A Garda objection to the traditional late-night opening and attempt to close the pubs at 2am was rejected at Caherisveen District Court earlier this summer.

Gardaí said there were 12 arrests for offences on Friday and Saturday night including minor assaults and there were also a number of larcenies.

The fair is worth an estimated €6 million to the local economy and costs €150,000 to run.

The goat, taken from the stand last night, Scattering Day, will be released back into the wild early this week after undergoing veterinary inspections.