A winner has been selected in the Fingal County Council and The Old Irish Goat Society competition to name one of the 37 new kid goats on Howth Head.

After receiving over 450 name suggestions, Fingal County Council and the Old Irish Goat Society have announced that their public poll settled on the name Talún for the special goat.

The name, meaning the Irish word for fertility, was whittled down from the original pool of names and was selected via public poll.

Talún beat the three other finalists – Saorla, meaning free princess, Fiáin, meaning wild and Danu, meaning mother of goddess.

Bryan Dunne, who suggested the name, was invited to meet the kid goat on Howth Head.

Conservation

The 37 new kid goats were born following a partnership between Fingal County Council and the Old Irish Goat Society, as part of a conservation grazing project from the national herd in Mulranny, Co Mayo.

The project is headed up by a goat herder, who uses traditional methods of management.

The goats are herded via a "no-fence" system, which uses GPS tracking to define fenceless grazing areas.

The Old Irish Goat is a critically endangered, native breed of goat that will potentially reduce fire risk and enhance biodiversity along the heathland.

Goatherd Melissa Jeuken with her firefighting goats on Howth Head. Image: Orla Murray/Coalesce