A raptor that was persecuted to extinction in Ireland 200 years ago will be reintroduced to the wild this summer.
Ospreys, which are also known as sea hawks because they feed entirely on fish, have not bred here since the 1700s.
But after years of lobbying from groups like the Golden Eagle Trust, the National Parks and Wildlife Service has agreed to “reintroduce Osprey this year”.
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Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien revealed the move in answer to a written question by Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore.
He said: “The NPWS plans to reintroduce osprey this year and is collaborating with colleagues in Norway to supply a small umber of chicks to be released in the south eastern part of Ireland during the summer months.”
Social Democrat and qualified ecologist, Ms Whitmore, told us: “I think this is really exciting news.
“Our environment and our ecosystems are really out of balance and over the last few centuries we’ve lost the top tier of species.
“I think it’s really good that we are starting to now introduce ones that have worked in other countries and are refeasible here.
“In order to make it a success, it’s going to be really important that the department and NPWS communicates with the local community on this, that the community are involved and NGOs like the Eagle Trust are involved as they are the ones with the local knowledge.”
Lorcan O’Toole, general manager for the Gold Eagle Trust, told us while they are not involved with the reintroduction, they have been “lobbying to bring ospreys back”.
He added: “We’ve been giving the department a lot of information over the last three years and it’s great now that they are comfortable and reassured to restore this native bird to Ireland.
“Two or three years ago they did not believe it was a viable project.”
Lorcan says ospreys, which feed “on purely fish” they catch while splash diving the surface of both salt and fresh water bodies, should prove a huge tourist draw and will be a “non issue” for farmers going by those in Scotland where they have already been reintroduced.
He said: “It’s great to restore part of our native wildlife species.
“A lot of different birds of prey were killed out over the last few centuries.
“Economically, in due course, they will be very beneficial for tourism. They are very attractive to look at when they’re fishing or flying about.
“There’s a few visitor centres in Scotland that get tens of thousands visitors coming to look at the ospreys.
“That will take a number of years but ultimately Ireland is pretty famous for its coastal areas, lagoons, rivers and lakes and it will be nice to have ospreys come and be part of the water systems again.”
Padraig Fogarty from the Irish Wildlife Trust said: “We very much welcome this initiative and we’d like to acknowledge the amount of work that was done by the Golden Eagle Trust in laying the groundwork.
“The Irish Wildlife Trust would like to see a more structured approach to the reintroduction of missing species in Ireland, like the committee that has been set up in the UK.
“There are over one hundred species which have gone extinct due to human actions here and there is a need to work in a coherent way towards returning them.
“But we’re delighted that we’re going to see ospreys back in Ireland after an absence of over 200 years.”
The project follows the Irish White-tailed Sea Eagle Reintroduction Programme which has seen huge success with support from farmers and landowners.
Ten of the birds were released at Lough Derg and the Lower Shannon estuary in 2020 followed by 21 adults and 16 young eagles at three sites across Munster the following year.
To date 40 chicks of the once extinct species in Ireland have fledged nests in Kerry, Cork, Clare and Galway.
Minister of State Noonan welcomed the project. He said: "This is a very exciting project that, we hope, will see the return of the majestic osprey to Irish skies.
"Projects like these are highly complex and entirely dependent on the support and collaboration of many people. I’d like to acknowledge the work and dedication of NPWS, colleagues in Norway, local landowners and the many groups and individuals who have informed the project’s development to date.
"Things are at an early stage and patience is needed, but we all have our fingers crossed for a successful reintroduction."
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