Paddy The Pet Goose, Graiguecullen, Co. Carlow, Ireland 1974

A goose waddling behind his young owners is a regular sight in the streets of Graiguecullen.

In 1970 Miley Doran bought a gosling from a woman in Bagenalstown in County Carlow for ten shillings. He had not planned to buy a goose, but thought the creature could be fattened, killed, and boiled to make soup.

Miley Doran’s children had other ideas. They christened the gander Paddy and he became a family pet.

He’ll never be killed here, he came for that job but it will never be done.

Paddy is now a familiar sight around Graiguecullen on the Laois Carlow County boundary. The goose is frequently seen out walking around Carlow with Miley Doran’s young girls. Paddy must be locked up each morning or else he will follow them to school. He dislikes water and prefers to waddle around the shops with his young owners. While Paddy is tame with the girls, he dislikes boys and adults.

Such is this goose’s celebrity that several people have offered to buy Paddy from Miley Doran. But Paddy will never be sold nor slaughtered,

He saved his own life by doing a few tricks.

This episode of ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’ was broadcast on 31 January 1974. The reporter is Frank Hall. The track accompanying this clip is ‘Walking’ by CCS.

Frank Hall’s amusing and satirical series began on 29 September 1971 with the full title ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly Incorporating the Provincial Vindicator’ which became known as ‘Hall’s Pictorial Weekly’.

The series allowed Frank Hall to follow his own interest in the lives of viewers throughout the country. Regarded as RTÉ’s flagship comedy show, it featured satirical sketches on current news stories and popular culture, as well as parody songs, comedy sketches, re-edited videos, cartoons and spoof television formats. The show ran for nine series until 1980.