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Lost parrot causes a flap at Dublin Airport

Updated / Monday, 6 Apr 2026 16:04
a parrott eats nuts as it sits on top of a car
The parrot is being well looked after while efforts are made to trace its owner

Troy Parrott's heroic soccer performances almost got Ireland to the World Cup and resulted in calls for Dublin Airport to be renamed after him.

But now a very different parrot - of the feathered kind - has been causing a flap there.

Yesterday, a parrot was found in a carpark at the airport and authorities are desperate to reunite the bird with its owner.

They were unsure initially if the parrot was male or female, but in an update on X this afternoon, 'Troy' has been confirmed as a female Alexandrine parakeet after a vet check.

Earlier, Kevin Cullinane, Deputy Director of Communications at daa, described how the parrot was discovered.

Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, he said: "Two of my airport police colleagues were on a routine patrol at Dublin Airport on Easter Sunday with their dog, Jimmy, when they were alerted by two Dublin Express coach sellers to a parrot perched on one of the bins outside Terminal 1.

"Now, one of the officers had some nuts in his pocket as it happened. So he approached the parrot and the parrot seemed to be quite hungry.

"We thought it was a he at the time. We subsequently think it may be a she. But the parrot was happy to eat out of his hand."

parrot
Airport police were alerted to a parrot perched on a bin outside Terminal 1

Mr Cullinane said that 'Troy' flew onto the officer's shoulder and even his head.

Back at the airport garda station they improvised a temporary home by taking an old dog crate and an old brush handle.

parrot
Troy flew onto an officer's shoulder

"The parrot was quite happy to perch on the brush handle inside the dog crate".

They gave it some more food and some of the dog's toys from the canine unit.

"And he/she has been carefully looked after overnight while efforts are ongoing to try and return the parrot to his rightful home."

He urged the owner of the parrot to contact airport police at Dublin Airport 01 944 7777.

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