Irish goat

The Irish Goat is a traditional Irish breed of domestic goat. It is a dual-purpose breed, used both for meat and for milk.^[4]: 366 It is an endangered breed and may survive only in feral populations.^[3] It is distinct from the feral Bilberry Goat of Waterford.^[4]: 366

Irish Goat

Near Glendalough
Conservation status	FAO (2007): not at risk[1]: 65  DAD-IS (2019): at risk[2]
Country of origin	Ireland
Distribution	country-wide
Use	meat milk
Traits
Weight	Male: 85 kg[2] Female: 55 kg[2]
Height	Male: 90 cm[2] Female: 80 cm[2]
Horn status	horned in both sexes[2]
Beard	yes[3]
Goat Capra aegagrus hircus

History

The Irish Goat is the traditional domestic goat of Ireland. A herd-book was started in 1918.^[4]: 366

In 1994 a breed population of 6650 was reported to the DAD-IS breed database of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations,^[2] and in 2007 its conservation status was listed by the FAO as "not at risk".^[1]: 65 It has since become an endangered breed: in 2019 breed numbers were reported to be 25–30, and conservation status was "at risk".^[2] According to The Old Irish Goat Society, it survives only in feral populations and is extinct in domesticity.^[3] It was not on the goat watchlist of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust in 2019.^[5]

Characteristics

The Irish Goat is long-haired, bearded and horned in both sexes; the hair may be black, grey or white.^{[4]: 366 [3]}