A change to this year's Puck Fair in Co Kerry has left a lot of people 'very disappointed'.
Kerry County Councillor Johnny Healy Rae was speaking as the goat at the centre of the festival will play a much smaller part for the first time.
The tradition usually sees a goat spend three days and nights in a cage over the town of Killorglin.
This year the goat will be raised for an hour on the opening night on August 10th, and then return for a similar period of time on the closing day of the fair.
Ireland's oldest fair is held on the 10th, 11th and 12th of August every year.
'King Puck' in his cage over Killorglin in Co Kerry as part of the Puck Fair festival in 2015. Picture by: RollingNews.ieCllr Healy Rae told The Hard Shoulder this change is disappointing.
"The majority of people that I have met... are very disappointed that there is a change to the format of the Puck Fair festival," he said.
"The committee have to be praised at all times, and commended... for running the festival successfully over 400 years now at this stage [by] various committees - but this current one in the last number of decades have done a fantastic job.
"It has to be said I suppose, generally, people are very disappointed that there's a change to the format.
"The goat was looked after better than any king in any country during the festival.
"There were vets on-hand 24 hours, he was fed and watered.
"I don't think anyone could question [that] the goat came down off the stand in better order than he went up there every year that this festival has been run".
'A minority like to undermine things'
Cllr Healy Rae has criticised certain groups who called for the change.
"Some of these people, God nor man couldn't satisfy them if we tried," he said.
"If we gave them the Lotto they'd find something wrong with it.
"A lot of these people - whether we'll call them environmentalists or animal rights crowd or whatever they are - they do an awful lot of talking about animal rights.
"But if there was cattle or animals depending on them for the winter, I don't see them doing anything for that - only talking.
"There was no word... about the goats up in every mountain in Kerry all through the winter.
"I didn't see them carry them a bag of hay or a bag of rolled oats, or doing anything for them.
"Tis only when it is part of a tradition, or part of a festival, you've a certain cohort - a minority I might say - that like to undermine things like that," he added.
