was there ever a deer called the Irish stag deer and if so when did they become extinct?

Answer 1

I think you are thinking of the Irish Elk- they became extinct a long time ago, roughly 7000 years ago or so. There are a lot of theories as to why they died- the most prevalent being sexual selection- the females wanted males with bigger and bigger antlers- until it got to the point that the huge antlers were actually hindering the males ability to find food and move around- the weight made them easy prey for wolves, and when they did not have the antlers- all their bone calcium went into growing new ones- remember all cervidae lose their antlers every year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Elk

Answer 2

Yes there are fossils of the giant Irish stag or elk (Megaloceros giganteus) in the National History Museum in Dublin. The mature Irish elk stag stood to more than seven feet at the shoulders, and their antlers had a greater span than the moose of North America, up to 3.5m and weighed almost 100lbs. The extinction of the species is estimated at around 10,000 BC. You can see pictures of the fossils at the first site below:

Answer 3

It became extinct soon after the development of the Irish Deer Hound. Coincidence? I think not...

Answer 4

plenty of them around in killarney co kerry ireland. why i just saw one today