The tradition in Kerry of crowning King Puck stretches back nearly 400 years. Each year, on August 10th, 11th and 12th, a wild mountain goat is captured, paraded through the town, crowned and then raised up on a 50-foot metal platform as the centrepiece
"Tá bualchomhlaí Ard na Croise oscailte ag na teachtaireachtaí téacs" a d’fhógair Joe Duffy óna stiúideo raidió aerchóirithe i Lúnasa 2022 fad a bhí muintir na tíre bruite sa teaspach nach bhfacthas a leithéid cheana. Bhí an teas, an t-aighneas agus fearg ag méadú ar fud na tíre ach ba é Rí na bPoc i gCill Orglan a chur in aer uile iad. De réir an traidisiúin, chaithfeadh gabhar fiáin trí lá thuas ar bharr scafall miotail le linn na féile, ach leis an teas chomh hard le 30 céim celsius, bhí imní ar ghníomhaithe cearta ainmhithe faoi shábháilteacht an ghabhair.
Téann an traidisiún a bhaineann le Rí na bPoc i gCiarraí siar beagnach 400 bliain. Gach bliain, gabhtar gabhar fiáin sléibhe ar an 10, 11 agus 12 Lúnasa, cuirtear ar paráid é tríd an mbaile, bronntar an teideal air agus cuirtear in airde ansin é ar ardán miotail atá 50 troigh ar airde chun go mbeidh sé i lár an aonaigh le linn na féile ársa seo.
Ach nuair a bhíothas ag druidim le féile 2022, chuir feachtasóirí cearta ainmhithe, nach raibh sásta leis an traidisiún ar aon nós, fóirithint ar ainmnithe i leith choiste na féile mar go raibh
siad ag cur gabhar fiáin amach sa teas mór. Thug lucht eagraithe na Féile agus éisteoirí Liveline freagra láidir ar na feachtasóirí ag rá go raibh an fhéile á reáchtáil go dtí na caighdeáin is airde, go rabhthas ag cloí go docht le rialacha leasa ainmhithe, agus go gcaitear le Rí na bPoc gach bliain.... mar a bheadh rí ann.
Bhí cinniúint Rí na bPoc faoi thrácht ar feadh seachtaine ar Liveline agus bhí na meáin náisiúnta agus idirnáisiúnta araon gafa leis an scéal. Leag an chonspóid béim mhór ar an bhfadhb a bhaineann le bheith ag úsáid ainmhithe beo ag féilte agus traidisiúin faoin tuath. Bhí taobh amháin ag iarraidh go gcuirfí cosc iomlán air; bhraith an taobh eile go raibh siad faoi ionsaí ag glúin "woke". D’iompaigh an scéal isteach ina lucht traidisiúnta in éadan an lucht "woke"; Éire nua in éadan na hÉireann a bhí ann, lucht na tuaithe in éadan lucht na cathrach.
I gcaitheamh na seachtaine, phléigh Joe agus a lucht éisteachta comhréitigh agus réitigh chruthaitheacha - ach ní raibh aon ghlacadh ag an lucht eagraithe leo agus rinne siad an-soiléir é nach mbeadh aon athrú le déanamh. Ansin, rinne an Roinn Talmhaíochta agus Mara teagmháil le lucht na féile agus tosaíodh ag cur Rí na bPoc suas agus anuas an scafaill fad a bhí an díospóireacht faoi lán seoil, daoine ag cailleadh an chloiginn agus an teocht ag ardú.
Sa chéad chlár den tsraith nua de Scannal, rachaimid go Cill Orglan chun casadh leis na daoine a bhí i lár chonspóid Fhéile an Phoic in 2022. Agus casfar leis an mbean a chuir cipín faoin tine nuair a ghlaoigh sí ar Joe Duffy chun an cheist seo a chur: an bhfuil sé ceart go mbeadh gabhar sléibhe á bhruith i gcás fad is atá gach duine thíos faoi i mbun scléipe?
Craolfar Scannal: For Puc’s Sake Dé Máirt an 28 Samhain ag 7pm ar RTÉ One agus ar an RTÉ Player.
"The sluice gates of Ardnacrusha have opened in text messages" declared Joe Duffy from his air-conditioned radio studio in August 2022 as the country sweltered in an unprecedented heatwave. Temperatures, tensions and tempers were rising all over the country but it was Killorglin's King Puck which brought them to boiling point. Tradition dictated that a wild goat would spend three days atop a metal scaffolding during the festival, but in 30-degree temperatures, animal rights activists feared for the goat’s safety.
The tradition in Kerry of crowning King Puck stretches back nearly 400 years. Each year, on August 10th, 11th and 12th, a wild mountain goat is captured, paraded through the town, crowned and then raised up on a 50-foot metal platform as the centrepiece of the ancient festival.
But in the run up to the 2022 festival, animal rights campaigners, already uncomfortable with this tradition, accused the festival committee of animal cruelty for making a wild goat endure all of this in the extreme heat. Festival organisers and Liveline listeners hit back, claiming that the festival was run to the highest standards, that animal welfare rules were strictly adhered to, and that every year, King Puck is treated…..like a king.
The fate of King Puck dominated Liveline for a week and attracted national and international media attention. The controversy brought into sharp focus the issue of the use of live animals in rural festivals and traditions. One side wanted a complete ban; the other felt under attack from a "woke" generation. It was traditional versus woke; new Ireland versus old, rural versus urban.
Across the week, Joe and his listeners discussed compromises and creative solutions – but the organisers were having none of it and remained defiant that there would be no changes. Then the Department of Agriculture and the Marine got involved and King Puck found himself being hoisted up and down the scaffolding as the debate raged and tempers and temperatures soared.
In this first episode of a new series of Scannal, we travel to Killorglin to meet the people at the centre of the Puck Fair controversy of 2022. And we meet the woman who ignited the wildfire by ringing Joe Duffy to ask the question: is it appropriate that a mountain goat be roasted in a cage while beneath him the town goes wild?
Scannal: For Puc’s Sake airs Tuesday, 28th November, 7pm on RTÉ One and on the RTÉ Player.
