Falconry, according to Robert Ashley, is the original sport of kings. And as we stride across the Wicklow hills, with three majestic birds of prey soaring over our heads, it's easy to see why. The birds hover and catch the wind, spanning their wings before swooping down with incredible speed and gliding to land on the hands of their trainers.
It's a breathtaking sight, watching a falcon cut through the air and plummet towards the earth. But even more astounding is the way these birds, whose instinct is to hunt for prey, will calmly land on the leather-clad fist of their trainers, and, with a bit of bait, on my own.
When the thin yellow claws of a Harris hawk are clutching your wrist, you can see why falconers were rated so highly in times past. When the falconer entered a room even the king would stand to greet him, such was the respect accorded to his art. But that kind of prestige has long since died. These days, it's not royal approval that compels someone to spend their days trekking over muddy fields to keep up with a kestrel or a hawk. What has kept Robert Ashley, and his partners Dick Barton and Chris Welbourn, venturing out in the Wicklow hills in all kinds of weather is an all-consuming passion for falconry. "We're single-minded about what we do," admits Ashley. "The birds come first in everything."
You sense that there is something more than a business relationship between these men and their hawks. They have worked with their birds - 14 in all - for almost a year, to the point that they now have falcons, hawks, and kestrels literally eating out of their hands.
"When you first pick up a bird, it's completely wild," explains Welbourn. "The bird is scared, and it wants to get away from you. You don't know what you're dealing with until you overcome that fear."
The bird's anxiety is nothing compared to my own as I join the three men that comprise Raptorco - a company that offers clients the opportunity to handle and fly trained birds of prey - on an afternoon's hawking.
Three birds are selected for the outing, all Harris hawks. Harris hawks are, I am assured, sociable birds which are "very tolerant" of humans. "Harris hawks treat us like other hawks," explains Ashley. "They are the only birds of prey to hunt naturally in packs, so we use that. If you took out a number of peregrines together, they'd kill each other." Somehow, I am not reassured by this nor by the extremely penetrable-looking leather glove which is to be the sole material separating me from the killer talons of a hawk.
When we reach the open plains, the birds take off, spiralling away into the distance. I am offered a small sliver of meat as bait, and encouraged to extend my left arm. The left arm, apparently, has been traditionally preferred, as it leaves the right arm free to draw a sword. Which, unfortunately, I am not furnished with on this outing.
An eagle-eyed Harris hawk swoops down and decelerates lightly to land on my fist, and the beady yellow eyes are looking calmly into my own. Believe me, coming face-to-face with a falcon is no ordinary experience. These birds are powerful and not a little intimidating, but they'll perch on my wrist with a natural ease that belies the months of hard work which has gone into achieving this.
Their trainers have all been working with hawks for some time, having met at a University of Canterbury course on birds of prey in England. Once the course was completed, they each looked for a way to continue doing what they loved most - flying their birds - for a living. Raptorco was the solution.
"I had the pie-in-the-sky idea for it," says Welbourn. "But I had no way to see it through on my own." He teamed up with Ashley and Barton, and Raptorco was born. "It took all three of us to set it up," explains Ashley. "Chris had the idea, I had the experience, and Dick gave us the kick-in-the-pants we needed to get us going."
Raptorco became a reality in March 1998, but it took until January of this year to train the birds so that they could be used by inexperienced handlers. Now they are so in tune with their trainers they can be summoned with a whistle or even a gesture.
The company presents a unique form of corporate entertainment. It offers weekends, afternoon trips and courses in training and hunting with the birds. The common perception that falconry is a spectator rather than a participatory sport is one that the three partners from Raptorco can overcome with a quick demonstration for prospective clients. The response to date has been more than enthusiastic. Raptorco offers short "experience sessions" for tourists and longer courses for those who want to learn about the training that goes into falconry. "We bring people down over a week and teach them to train birds," says Barton. However, he cautions that there is a lot more to the process than meets the eye. "We're dealing here with birds which have had a lot of work put into them, so people think it's easy," he explains. "But you've got to be careful. People see birds soaring above their heads and coming to land on their fists, but that's taken nine or 10 months of work."
The work, for the three men behind Raptorco, has been worth it. These men are addicted to falconry, and it is this passion they are hoping to pass on to others through the events they offer. "To impart the thrill and the kick and the enjoyment that we get out of flying a bird to other people is what Raptorco is all about," says Ashley.
As Siren, a beautiful, proud Harris hawk comes swooping down to perch on my outstretched fist, the shiver of exhilaration that runs down my spine is, for Raptorco, testimony to a job well done.
Raptorco is based in Randalstown, Stratford on Slaney, Co Wicklow (045-04965)