AN IRISH community have come up with a unique way to keep the local graveyard tidy while at the same time being environmentally conscious-- by 'hiring' four mountain goats.
The new employees are being used to keep the community's final resting place free of overgrowth and weeds during the summer months, in a way that will minimise the potential damage of gravestones and without the need for dangerous weed killers.
The idea came from local committee Templebreedy Save Our Steeple, who last week announced they had finally received their new residents "after over a year of planning".
"We ask the community to please look out for 'Oscar' and 'Harris'," the committee wrote on a post on social media. "They are here to help us."
Oscar and Harris (Templebreedy save our temple / Facebook)The community are asked to help the new employees by keeping their dogs on a leash if visiting Crosshaven cemetery and not to feed the goats-- "as they are mountain goats they are used to vegetation only."
As the goats' status as local celebrities grew, however, and people were going baa-rmy to feed the new arrivals, the page then provided an update on what to do if you simply had to feed the adorable goats: wear thick gloves and pick ivy and brambles from the area to feed the goats with-- "then you'd be helping us to clean up and the goats would be delighted as ivy and brambles are their favourite food"!
Templebreedy Save Our Steeple / FacebookCrosshaven graveyard has since hired two other goats to accompany Oscar and Harris in their environmentally-friendly mission, one which they have named Keane, after journalist, Billy Keane-- we see the pun there-- who brought the story to RTÉ.
They haven't yet found a name for one white male goat, but are looking for suggestions-- if you think you have a winner, you can check out the Templebreedy Save Our Steeple page here.
