BY MICHAEL TRACEY
BRING in Billy to take on ivy. That’s the proposal from Laois Heritage Society which wants to introduce goats, not just any old ordinary goats, but feral ones, on the Rock of Dunamaise to take on the ivy which is threatening the castle remnants.
Chairman of Laois Heritage Society, Teddy Fennelly, warned that restoration work at the famous rock, which cost the taxpayer €1.9 million, was being threatened.
He said: “The ivy has grown back. It was a huge cost four or five years ago for the remedial work.
‘‘Animals kept the ivy at bay before. I think we are going to have to call back our four-legged friends.”
Vice-chairman of the society, cllr James Deegan, said it would be a shame if the castle was allowed to revert back to the way it was. “Bring back the feral goats,” he said.
Mr Fennelly continued: “Introduce the goats. It was abused before, because cattle were introduced, but then there were objections from people walking up there. It was in the OPW’s (Office of Public Works) wisdom to ban all the animals then,” he said.
All this talk of feral beasts roaming the hills of the Dunamaise provoked one spectator to wryly observe: “Someone with a good crop of wheat may not care as much for the goats.”