Environment
Staring at Goats?
By Mulranny Environmental Group
23, Jan 2011 - 09:55

Mulranny Old Irish Goats

Mulranny Old Irish Goats Talk - Friday 28th Jan 2011 @ 8:30pm Mulranny Amenity Centre - All Welcome.

‘farmed from the Neolithic to modern times the Old Irish Goat faces an uncertain future'

Professor Ray Parker

The Mulranny Environmental Group invites you to attend this event which will give a fascinating insight into our natural and historical heritage. Ray, in his extensive research of the Old Irish Goat, has traced the species back to Neolithic farmers and the last Ice Age, both of which have left an indelible mark on the landscapes of north Mayo from the Céide Fields to Clew Bay. Little wonder that Ray describes the species as ‘living heritage'.

We are very excited about Ray's imminent visit to continue his assessment of the Mulranny Goat Herds, with a view to the conservation of the Old Irish Goats in Ireland , the population of which is estimated to be as low as 200 - 250.

We are also delighted that some members of the 'Old Irish Goat Society' will be travelling from Clare to visit us for Ray's talk, along with Ruth Enright from University College Cork who is conducting DNA research into the Old Irish Goat.

We are also welcoming the RTE Nationwide crew visiting Mulranny to help create some 'Nationwide' awareness of this magnificent species.

With regard to the goats, well Praeger himself, wrote of the wild goats of Mayo - ' They fit in so naturally among heather and gnarled rock, and mount a miniature Matterhorn with such king-of-the-castle- air! Why the absurd head and the profusion of angles all over the body should make goats either picturesque or amusing I am not sure, but undoubtedly they are both.'

We would be very grateful if you would pass a link to this article http://www.castlebar.ie/environment/Staring-at-Goats.shtml on to anyone you know who might be interested in attending.

We look forward to seeing you on the night.

In the gallery below - poster for the talk and article on the Old Irish Goat by Raymond Werner (pdfs).