Puck Fair is under way in Killorglin, Co Kerry, with King Puck making a brief appearance tonight.
He is due to appear again on the closing day of the popular south Kerry festival.
It follows last year's controversy which saw the traditional captured wild goat on a stand high above the town for the three-day festival in scorching temperatures.
This gave rise to serious animal welfare concerns and intervention by the Department of Agriculture.
In a statement, the Puck Fair Committee said it had "unanimously agreed that the role of the goat, our King Puck, should evolve".
"Rather than remaining on the stand for three days, this year he will be raised on his stand for a short period following his coronation.
"He will then not be seen again until the final day of Puck Fair when a brief dethroning ceremony will take place.
"We are delighted that King Puck will continue to play an important role in the festival and uphold the longstanding traditions which we are all very proud of," the statement concluded.
"Sometimes we have to embrace change and we are quite happy," Chairman Declan Falvey said.
"It has been challenging, but it is good to embrace change," he added.
The Queen of Puck Fair 2023 is Leila Mulvihill, who succeeds both her mother and aunt who have previously held the role.
In her application, the 12-year-old twin said the highlights for her are the horse fair and Birds' funfair, but most of all, she simply "loves the tradition of Puck".
