The bells are really ringing for Scooby Doo, the braying donkey from
Rosses Point.
But this Jack of Hearts can bray with the best, especially when the church bells
ring.
For Scooby Do just can’t help crying when the bells toll at a funeral.
“I bought him from a priest in Ballaghdereen so he’s got the pure drop all
right,” explained owner Redmond Gillen who has sailed the Seven Seas.
Scooby is a four-year-old jack donkey who brays if not prays when the Angelus
Bells toll at high noon and six o’ clock across the Point.
“It’s pretty unusual all right for a donkey to be braying when bells ring,
said Redmond, a Rosses Point native.
“But he’s like a messenger relaying the news around the Point.
“I don’t know if there is any particular reason for it but it obviously
strikes some chord with him”.
“And I suppose its an extra attraction when bells chime.
When the Weekender called, Scooby was having a quiet nibble with his mate Amy
and their little baby Jack who is just six months.
Lennie, a two year old jack donkey from the Sathyia Sai Sanctuary for Donkeys in
Castlebaldwin has also joined the family.
“We have a number of donkey out here from Sue Paling’s famous sanctuary but
we had to keep Scooby from too much temptation.
“Some of them would be females so he had to be operated on.
“I suppose he could be braying about that.
“But his wife Amy and Lennie have been operated on as well so all four are
living together in relative harmony.
“Amy is four years older than Scooby so I suppose you could say he went for
the more mature female.
“We weren’t too sure about how little Jack came along until one morning we
spotted Amy nudging this lovely little baby donkey in front of her.
“It had a lovely little black head just likes its daddy.
“We sent Georgie Bruen who lives on Oyster island up to the maternity unit to
see the happy news at first hand.
“And Chris Glossop was up as well to shoe the donkey and see the birth of
course.
“Donkeys need companions.
“They are a bit like swans in that sense.
“But Scooby brays whenever the bells go off on the hour.
“It’s become quite a feature out here and people have got used to him” he
added.
Scooby’s biggest fan is Redmond’s six-year-old son Jamie who is determined
to ride this Jack of all jingles in the Mullaghmore donkey derby.
So if you are passing the Point on a Spring evening and you hear a peal followed
by a hee haw.
Don’t panic. It’s only Scooby reminding us our day will come!