We spend an entire month gearing ourselves up to the best day of the year with songs that document heartbreak, war, loneliness and The Wombles. Have we all gone mad?
There’s nowhere else in the world I’d rather be than Ireland… most of the time. But this is the one day of the year that I would give almost anything to be back in my home neighbourhood of East Milton, Boston, writes Larry Donnelly.
I’m not a complete scrooge (I swear) but bah-humbug to Halloween! I can’t stand the expense, the binge drinking and the ubiquitous “sexy” costumes, writes Kate Bellamy.
A survey finds that Irish workers feeling the strain of holding down a job as well as work pressures is contributing to them not taking their holidays.
The nation’s state-run television CCTV even a ran a series of programs aimed at encouraging good manners and acceptance of foreign customs when abroad.
TODAY IS THE first day of the Puck Fair, an annual three-day event in Killorglin, Co. Kerry, which is said to be Ireland’s oldest festival.
The festival’s centrepiece is a wild goat, which is caught from the mountains and brought back to the town for the fair, traditionally by a local schoolgirl.
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But animal rights advocates have raised concerns about the event for many years, which includes the tradition of placing the “King Puck” on a 50-foot tall platform for the duration of the three day festival.
This year there are specific concerns about the welfare of the goat amid a hot spell of weather.
A spokesman for the festival has said that if necessary, the animal will be taken down if the heat gets too much and will be given a health check.
So today we’re asking: Have you ever been to the Puck Fair?
Plenty of sunshine
Max: 24 °C
Min: 13 °C
Mostly sunny
Max: 24 °C
Min: 14 °C
Partly sunny
Max: 24 °C
Min: 15 °C
