Description
Always celebrated on the same dates every year, Puck is a community based homecoming festival and one of the oldest horse fairs celebrated in Ireland. Three key elements draw huge national and international interest. Firstly, a wild mountain goat is publicly crowned King of Puck Fair. Secondly, the Horse Fair sees hundreds trade and sell horses in a manner that has hardly changed in four centuries and, finally, the festival includes a programme of free, family orientated entertainment and a selection of over 200 stalls. The first day of Puck has always been known as the ‘Gathering Day’ when the horse fair starts off the festival just outside the town at 6am. The Coronation takes place in the afternoon when thousands gather to see the new King. The second day, the Fair Day, has a cattle fair which is organised by the Cattle Traders Organisation and held in a side street in the town centre. The third and final day is the Scattering Day when the goat is dethroned and returned to the mountains. Street entertainment is very varied – traditional music and dancing, puppet shows, street theatre, walkabout characters, clowns, pipe bands, bonny baby, fancy dress and pet shows and the very popular workshops in music, dance and clown. The night-time concerts suit all tastes with traditional, rock and popular music.