Round Tipperary with a goat

It's a long way to Tipperary, particularly with a dog and a goat in tow.

Mountaineer Nathan Kingerlee is hiking the Blackwater Way, a 190km trail from Muckross, in Co Kerry, to Clogheen, near Clonmel.

"The idea of bringing a goat along came to me one evening in my local bar, over a few pints," says Kingerlee. "I had just finished the book Round Ireland with a Fridge, by Tony Hawks, and thought a goat would be much better company . . .

"There's also a slightly more serious aspect. I've spent my whole working life in the tourism industry. I want to take a step outside it and see if the Irish welcome that we market overseas still exists in the little towns and pubs along the way."