With the 401st Puck Fair already over I suppose it is about time I published my resume of the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2013!
If you want to party for three days and generally have a time to remember then Killorglin, Co. Kerry, is the place to be between the 10th and 12th August any year you choose.
Of course this year was different as an extra day was added to celebrate the 400th – yes hundredth – anniversary of the granting of a charter by James 1 of England.
Nobody is quite sure of the true origins but, for as long as anybody can remember, they have been crowing a goat as King Puck and he rules over the town for the three day extravaganza known as Puck Fair.
Thanks to our good friends John and Catherine McGrath we were able to get a room in the Bianconi Inn right in the centre of town. This is the best accommodation in the area by far.
We arrived on Friday evening which was, on the whole, pretty quiet and the bars only had extensions to 2 a.m. rather than 4 a.m. which is the norm for the rest of the festivities.
Over the weekend there was the Horse Fair,
Cattle Market and a myriad of events for all ages in the square. The evening concerts on the main stage at the top of the town were packed to capacity.
The St John’s Mill Theatre Company held performances of The Tempest at Ballykissane Pier and it was undoubtedly a perfect setting for the best amateur performance I have seen.
All the photos are at this link Puck Fair