The herd arrived in Howth last year with the task of eating gorse.

The firefighting old Irish goats at Howth have officially been on task for a year now. We wrote about them in 2021 when they first arrived in Howth, with a very important job to do. And boy have they been doing it marvellously.

Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) were dealing with gorse fires in Howth last summer before deploying the firefighting goat herd. Since then, the situation has vastly improved. The goats assist in firefighting by eating the highly flammable gorse, briars, and bracken. There are now 64 goats in total residing on Howth Hill, participating in this noble work.

Cllr Howard Mahony, Mayor of Fingal said this of the goats’ efforts:

“Wildfires have been a regular occurrence in Howth, and the risk to property from wildfires was extremely high. We are delighted this truly unique project has already been so successful – the goats have gone about an important role in enhancing the biodiversity of the habitat and are much loved by those who meet them whilst up on the hill. I look forward to seeing what the next two years of this initiative will entail.“

Goat herder Melissa Jeuken, who is tasked with looking after the goats, said that they are having a hugely positive impact on the land and have settled in well.

We can only thank the old Irish goats for their incredible work and wish them a happy one year anniversary at Howth.

Header image via Fingal County Council

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