Bilberry Goats

looksee · 02-02-2015 1:47pm #1

I have been trying to contact the Bilberry Goat Trust but have just seen the article from last October in the Muster Express saying that there were issues over the land and ownership of the herd.

I was shocked to realise that this unique herd has been - apparently - moved, does anyone have any more up to date information?

crazyman · 02-02-2015 3:45pm

looksee wrote: »

I have been trying to contact the Bilberry Goat Trust but have just seen the article from last October in the Muster Express saying that there were issues over the land and ownership of the herd.

I was shocked to realise that this unique herd has been - apparently - moved, does anyone have any more up to date information?

Could have sworn I saw at least two goats on the hill while driving past on Saturday.

Squidvicious · 03-02-2015 9:59am

Can't give you any more information, but I did notice earlier in the week while crossing the bridge that there were animals up on Bilberry. Unfortunately, they looked far more like horses of the piebald variety than goats and I wondered how the goats would manage having to share Bilberry with horses. I hadn't heard about the goats moving, but that would tally with what I noticed. I had a look at the Bilberry goats website and could see nothing about them having moved.

It's a real shame if the goats had to move considering they managed to survive on Bilberry for 300 years or so.

looksee · 03-02-2015 10:47am

http://www.munster-express.ie/local-news/pleas-to-save-bilberry-goats/

this is the article I found, its from last October

MRnotlob606 · 07-02-2015 9:18am

These goats must not be moved an inch !.

looksee · 07-02-2015 8:52pm

They already have been, they were there for over 300 years then the council just sold the land and the purchaser sold/disposed of the goats.

It must have been beyond sickening for the members of the Trust who had done so much to build up, promote and care for the herd.

Anyone with a bit of cop on would have found a way of making these unique animals something of interest to tourists and pride to locals, but no, the City council just let them go. I am disgusted. I would love to know has anything been done to remedy the situation. There is no point contacting the council offices, I know from experience I would just get passed round and round and no-one would admit to knowing anything about it. Can anyone suggest who might react with a it of interest? Though at this stage it is probably too late.

tombliboo83 · 07-02-2015 10:06pm

looksee wrote:

Anyone with a bit of cop on would have found a way of making these unique animals something of interest to tourists and pride to locals, but no, the City council just let them go. I am disgusted. I would love to know has anything been done to remedy the situation. There is no point contacting the council offices, I know from experience I would just get passed round and round and no-one would admit to knowing anything about it. Can anyone suggest who might react with a it of interest? Though at this stage it is probably too late.

Perhaps contact our local td John Halligan.

Martin_D · 07-02-2015 11:42pm

Best to verify if it is true.
Needs to be reversed if true.

I remember this small herd from my childhood - they survived with NO interference from humans. It has struck me that last few years they have been domesticated and commercialised. The herd grew very big - too big for limited land.

Believe the herd should be reduced with best specimens returned to Bilberry and left to their own devices on the rock - both the Trust and the 'herdsman" and neighbouring landlord should back away and let the herd back to the wild

looksee · 08-02-2015 11:31am

Left to itself the herd diminished to something like 15 goats, thanks to the Trust it was built up again. The land has been sold according to the newspaper article - whatever the purchaser has in mind for the land, it apparently does not include goats.

Because of development on the land around the area for the goats has already diminished, there is no 'wild', and the goats were vulnerable to being stolen, as the goats at Passage East were.

I have only information from the newspaper articles, however the Trust appears to have completely gone, which would suggest that the information is correct. I will contact John Halligan and see if any further information is available.

wellboytoo · 08-02-2015 11:49am

The developer is gone the way of the goats, high court judgement 2 weeks ago for 11 million on another piece of land, so safe to assume this is NAMA property .