National Parks and Wildlife Service

State nears deal for Conor Pass in Co Kerry

The parties are working on the basis the property will be taken into ownership of the National Parks and Wildlife Service to be developed and managed for tourism

Lough Corrib’s hidden diversity in desperate need of co-ordinated protection

Ireland’s second largest lake suffering from being ‘out of sight, out of mind’

Operator of Carton House in Co Kildare convicted and fined for damaging local ‘ecosystem’

Company fined €8,000 after pleading guilty to offences relating to clearing of vegetation at upmarket hotel

Our National Parks say something about how we view and value the natural world

Agriculture will be at the centre of Ireland’s newest National Park, Boyne Valley National Park, to be created from the 552-acre Dowth Hall estate

More than €2bn from budget has yet to be allocated for spending next year

Budget 2024: State water company Uisce Éireann will get €1.6bn next year for the operation, repair and upgrading of the Republic’s supply networks

New climate fund is arguably the single most important element of Budget 2024 and a historic first

Budget 2024 includes measure to scale up green transition of economy

Two parties interested in sale of land on Conor Pass in Co Kerry

Taoiseach said Government is interested in buying scenic site but would not pay €10m asking price for the lands, woods and lakes

Hunting of four duck species outlawed as conservationists seek further bans

Scaup, Goldeneye, Pochard and Pintail duck species ruled off-limits to hunters but BirdWatch Ireland wants the Shoveler and Golden Plover protected too

White-tailed eagles spread their wings with 24 new chicks released into Irish skies

The chicks were released in locations around Lough Derg, the Shannon Estuary and the west of Ireland.

Give Me a Crash Course in . . . the return of the corncrake

A tentative rise in numbers and a geographical spread are positive signs conservation efforts are paying off

Corncrake numbers rising in Ireland

Endangered bird spotted on the Aran Islands for the first time in more than 25 years

Warning over ‘high-impact’ invasive species on Killarney lakes

Fringed water lily was thought to have been eradicated in the area but has spread with vigour this year

Early departure of puffins after nesting on Skellig Michael leaves experts confused

Uncertainty surrounds departure but ‘favourable’ breeding season recorded

Ireland’s largest protected area for bird species to be created in Irish Sea

North-West Irish Sea SPA to stretch along coasts of counties Dublin, Meath and Louth and become Ireland’s largest protected area for bird species

Otters: Scientists on trail of the elusive and charismatic mammal

Water analysis and a new technique called eDNA will help us work out how many otters live in Ireland

Authorities monitoring ‘worrying’ outbreak of crayfish plague in Co Cork

Total kill of crayfish population expected in the Blackwater River (Cork/Waterford) Special Area of Conservation

Habitats directive: Gross policy failure leaves Ireland’s most prized natural possessions at risk

Analysis: European Court’s finding on our failure to implement habitats directive an indication of gross policy failure

‘A damning indictment’: European court finds Ireland failed to implement EU habitats directive

Decision ‘a damning indictment of Ireland’s failure to protect nature’, IWT says

State wildlife agency to play ‘stronger role in protecting nature’

Six new directorates put in place with staff increased to 471 – progress report confirms

Dublin hare-port: the oldest mammal in Ireland is in flying form

The numbers of hares at Dublin Airport are about 10 times the average

Climate change and invasive species: ‘The clock is ticking as to when something nasty will arrive’

Scientists warn climate change will increase chances of dangerous species arriving in Ireland and threatening food crops if borders are not protected

The common cuckoo is not so common any more

The bird, though heartless and cunning, is still one of the great joys of approaching summer

Cuckoo tagging project could solve one of Ireland’s ‘most intriguing natural mysteries’

A joint Irish-UK scheme will track exactly where they go when the birds go when they depart Ireland in mid-summer

Members of public asked to help spot one of Ireland’s most elusive mammals – the otter

National Parks & Wildlife Service leading latest survey of protect species

Ospreys to be reintroduced to Ireland approximately 150 years after becoming extinct here

Plans to reintroduce the bird are due to come to fruition this summer, says Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan

Anti-blood sport campaigners criticise finding that hares do not experience greater risk of death after coursing

The movements of the hares were tracked over a period of time including by a helicopter by the National Parks and Wildlife Service

Natterjack’s breeding pattern precarious as its habitat

Climate change has exacerbated the challenges facing Ireland’s only native toad

Bluebells: native flower under threat from larger, invasive species

Hybrid or Spanish varieties can quickly displace the native species

The return of the raptor: it’s hard to believe these exciting birds of prey are back in our skies

First the red kite, next the osprey: rewilding with keystone species could lead to a recovery in multiple habitats and other species

‘Without them our biodiversity would collapse’: Munster moth catcher recording rare species

Stephen Cotter, who catches moths as a hobby, caught a species never previously found in Munster

Ireland is undertaking one of Europe’s largest environmental projects. But farmers fear its effects

Semi-state is attempting to rehabilitate 33,000 hectares of Midlands bog in one of the largest environmental projects being undertaken in Europe

Two convicted of hunting protected wild birds

NPWS claims the men hunted rooks for ‘recreation’ with no evidence of any crop damage caused by the birds

Minister warns those cutting hedgerows and burning land out of season will be prosecuted

Seasonal bans under Wildlife Act come into effect across Ireland on March 1st to coincide with birds’ nesting season

No sanctions for Dublin Zoo as whistleblower’s claims dismissed

Allegations ranged from staff shortages, delays in completing maintenance work and death of animals

Vandalism of Hill of Tara standing stone a ‘desecration’

Lia Fáil, said to be a coronation stone for High Kings, damaged by spray paint

Michael Viney’s final Another Life column – more than 45 years after the first

Another Life: On the eve of its writer’s 90th birthday, the long-running natural world column draws to a close

European Commission brings Ireland to court over EU water directive ‘failure’

Department of Heritage says new Act addresses European concerns over legal shortcomings

White-tailed eagle released in wild ‘poisoned with illegal pesticide’

Bird brought as chick from Norway in 2021 released as part of eagle reintroduction programme

Wildfires in Kerry halve in 2022 with illegal burning dropping dramatically

Campaigners call for year-round ban on practice of clearing scrub with fire

Dáil housing motion forces Minister to cut short trip to Cop15 biodiversity talks

Minister was due to lead Irish team during final days of UN summit but will be in Montreal for less than 48 hours

New app will allow public to track, identify and report drones

A number of measures are being introduced to tighten regulations and prevent accidents or privacy intrusions

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