 Dalkey Tidy Towns |
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| Dalkey Tidy Towns |
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Wildlife
Newsletter for the Township of Dalkey November 2011 - Kevin Glynn MVB MRCVS |
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Goats have been part of Dalkey Island and community for over 200 yrs. and likely much longer. The Domestic Goat (Capra hircus) has a ready tendency to become wild (or more correctly feral), and will adapt and thrive in a variety of environments. There have been many theories as to how the goats came to be on the island; certainly over the centuries their main function was the provision of fresh milk and meat to the different groups of people that found themselves having to live on the island - an environment that would not support cows. In more modern times, after the railways had arrived and grand houses with large well maintained gardens were built, bye laws were passed prohibiting the owning of goats in an effort to protect the gardens. This in turn caused people to abandon goats and a very useful place was Dalkey Island. These days the herd, being island proud, provide a very useful service in “trimming back” and keeping shrubs, mainly gorse, in check, in so doing keeps the island accessible for visitors to roam comfortably over the island. They do such a good job of maintaining the land and keeping the grass trimmed and well presented they would almost be contenders for the Dalkey community garden competition. Being a goat on Dalkey Island has some distinct advantages; there is more than adequate food growing for a herd that we try to keep between 6 and 15 goats, the only competition to the food source is from the rabbit population and that is managed to keep their numbers as low as possible. |
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Billy Goats |
A goats day is generally a mixture of grazing along predictable pathways and sunbathing on a nice day. However, on prolonged wet periods, more time is spent relaxing in the excellent shelter that is provided by the “powder room” in the Battery at the south end of the island. There is abundant fresh water from numerous natural springs on the island and in very dry spells the well just south of the jetty has always provided fresh water. Some challenges faced by the herd are those associated with being inbred while it certainly selects out the hardiest individuals they can be left susceptible to parasitic infections as contamination builds up especially in years when above average numbers of kids survive. |
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greatest threat to the herd is the ever increasing numbers of visitors to
the island. While the vast number of visitors respect the herd and leave
them in peace, increasing numbers whether by ignorance or more sinister reasons
follow and chase the goats until they are cornered on the cliffs and panic
leading to injuries. The very least that is needed is proper signage explaining
the responsibilities visitors have to the various forms of wildlife on the
island. Dalkey has the last herd of feral goats left in Dublin and with only
a handful left in the country it would be a shame to lose it. With increasing
numbers of visitors to the island likely, we need to find ways that will
balance the rights of visitors with those of the herd. Kevin Glynn MVB MRCVS – Veterinary |
