Panel: Richard Collins, Éanna Ní Lamhna, Terry Flanagan & Niall Hatch

Reporter: Eric Dempsey

In addition to listening to us on RTÉ Radio One at 22:00 every Monday night, don't forget that you can also listen back to each of our programmes any time you like at www.rte.ie/mooney. There, you will find an extensive archive of past broadcasts, conveniently split into different topics and segments.

Tonight’s programme features one of Ireland’s best known wild mammals, the Red Fox. Loved by some, loathed by others, the species is known for its adaptability and intelligence, and it plays a vital role in the ecosystem. Without question, these carnivores are amongst our most successful and adaptable predators, equally at home in rural and urban areas and capable not just of surviving, but thriving, in close proximity to man.

To help you get to know these cunning wild dogs a bit better, our recommendation from the Mooney Goes Wild archives is a special documentary from our Nature on One series all about them. First broadcast in February of this year, it is presented by Terry Flanagan, who delves into the fascinating world of these clever canids.

To listen to this programme from the Mooney Goes Wild archives, visit https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22485707/

Wild Dublin – second edition is on the way!

In addition to being the longest-standing member of the Mooney Goes Wild panel, a former President of the Tree Council of Ireland, one of Ireland’s most in-demand natural history speakers and all-round national treasure, Éanna Ní Lamhna is a celebrated and prolific natural history author, with many books under her belt.

One of the most popular of those books is Wild Dublin – Exploring Nature in the City, an authoritative, informative and, of course, highly entertaining exploration of the flora and fauna of our nation’s capital, first published in 2008. New discoveries have happened since then, of course, which is why, as Éanna tells us on tonight’s programme, a second edition will soon be published.

For more information about the new, fully updated edition of Wild Dublin, published by The O’Brien Press, visit https://obrien.ie/wild-dublin-1

Urban wildlife goes off the rails in Dublin!

Staying with the theme of urban wildlife, many of you have been getting in touch with us recently to tell us about the various wild animals you have encountered in your gardens, in parks, along the streets and on your daily commutes to and from work.

Two of the most popular of these urban-dwelling creatures just so happen to be predators, albeit entirely unrelated to each other. One is the Red Fox, which featured so prominently in last week’s programme and is a species which seems able to thrive in urban and suburban settings. Indeed, though widespread and common across Ireland, foxes are probably easier to see in cityscapes than in rural areas. There, they find plenty of places to shelter and breed, as well as an abundance of different foods, from mice and birds to discarded chips and sandwiches, which suit these omnivorous canids perfectly.

The other is a bird which feeds almost exclusively on other birds: the Sparrowhawk. Unlike the fox, which tends to be more active at night, these birds of prey are exclusively diurnal. They are surprisingly common birds; however, due to their highly secretive nature and their reliance on the element of surprise when it comes to ambushing their prey, they are mostly overlooked. Many people are unaware that these raptors visit their gardens until they find a pile of feathers on the lawn or happen to see a lightning-fast grey blur dashing to snatch a tit, finch or sparrow from their bird table.

These two species just so happen to be the subjects of one of Ireland's largest street art projects, part of a partnership between Iarnród Éireann and Aviva Stadium, supported by Dublin City Council, to celebrate urban wildlife. Work on this huge artwork began in November 2019, on the two large walls immediately adjacent to the railway track at either end of the stadium, right beside Lansdowne Road DART Station.

VIDEO: Check out the video of the murals while riding the DART by clicking this link or the screenshot below:

The wall closest to the station depicts a wonderfully stylised and impactful image of an urban fox, created by artist and illustrator Dan Leo. The other wall, at the northern end of the tunnel through which trains pass the stadium, shows a majestic "urban hawk" – a female Sparrowhawk – which was painted in a more realistic style by Artists for All City Records.

Not long afterwards, a third element of the artwork was added, centred around various images of a black cat that, as train passengers speed past it and windows flicker in the semi-darkness, appears to be sprinting through the tunnel.

For tonight’s pre-recorded programme we dispatched not one, not two but three of our regular wildlife experts – Terry Flanagan, Richard Collins and Niall Hatch – to Lansdowne Road DART Station to view the animal-themed art for themselves. They were joined by Iarnród Éireann's Head of Communications Barry Kenny, who kindly took time out of his very busy day – he literally stopped off en route to the grand opening of the new Woodbrook DART Station – to tell us more about the works, as well as about some of the wildlife viewing opportunities to be had along the Iarnród Éireann network.

For more information about the Lansdowne Road/Aviva Stadium urban wildlife mural, visit https://www.irishrail.ie/en-ie/news/aviva-stadium-partnership-for-street-art-mural-hig

Noisy Sparrowhawks

By happy coincidence, ornithologist and author Eric Dempsey, who needs no introduction to regular Mooney Goes Wild listeners, has had Sparrowhawks on his mind too. In recent days, a newly fledged hawk has taken up residence close to his house in Co. Wicklow and has literally been screaming loudly for its parents to bring it food. It is at this time of year, after the young Sparrowhawks have left the nest but before they have learned the importance of keeping a low profile so as not to alert potential prey to their presence, that it is easiest to locate them. On tonight’s programme, Eric tells us more.

For more information about Sparrowhawks, visit https://birdwatchireland.ie/birds/sparrowhawk/

Ancient Music in the Forest

Mooney Goes Wild listener Brendan Fitzpatrick sent a voice note to tell us about an interesting music festival. This summer, Co. Wicklow is alive with the sound of Ancient Music in the Forest, a festival celebrating ancient, traditional and early music in one of Ireland’s most enchanting settings: the natural forest amphitheatre at Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary, Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow.

Every weekend in July and August, audiences gather from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM to enjoy exceptional Irish and international musicians performing beneath the forest cathedral of trees. They can also avail of a brief tour of the Elven Village at the end.

For more information about the Ancient Music in the Forest festival and to book tickets, visit https://www.dorlindon.com/en/music-in-the-forest/index.php