Winner of RTÉ's Eye on Nature announced on Nationwide
Limerick’s Daniel Meehan’s photo of a rabbit wins Eye On Nature 2023 trophy and cash prize
A beautiful photograph of a rabbit licking its paw, taken by Daniel Meehan from Murroe in County Limerick, was unveiled as the winner of RTÉ's Eye on Nature on Nationwide this evening (Friday 23rd June).
Filmed at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland, tonight's Nationwide was presented by Anne Cassin and Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh. They announced Daniel Meehan as the 2023 winner of the Eye on Nature trophy and a cash prize of €1,000.
On his win, Daniel, who works as a medical device engineer, said: "I'm stunned. The quality of the photographs in the final are unbelievable. I’m shocked and I can’t get my head around the fact that my photo has been chosen as the best one. When I look at the other photos they are works of art."
He added: "I’ve been taking photos for the last six years, but I’ve only really gotten good since Covid when we were all locked up with nothing else to do."
Daniel took the winning photo last summer. He said: "I was outside one morning close to my house. I was sitting in the shade, and I’d my camera on me. This rabbit didn’t seem to take much notice of me and started licking itself. It was a golden opportunity, and I took it. I took a lot of photos and that was the best of them."
Daniel’s photograph was chosen from ten photographs that made the final of RTÉ’s Eye on Nature which is a partnership between RTÉ’s Nationwide, Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ Radio 1 and the Office of Public Works (OPW) at the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland.
The final ten photos and the winner of this year’s competition were chosen by this year’s judging panel: Director of National Botanic Gardens of Ireland Dr Matthew Jebb, Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland and award-winning nature-photographer Sheena Jolley. Derek Mooney spoke to all the finalists on Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday. Listen back: https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/mooney/programmes/2023/0619/1390089-mooney-goes-wild-monday-19-june-2023/
An online gallery featuring the 10 finalists' photographs is available at rte.ie/eyeonnature The 10 finalists photos are on display at the National Botanic Gardens and the exhibition is scheduled to travel to other OPW sites later this year.
Ten finalists for RTE's wildlife photography competition Eye on Nature announced
Ten stunning wildlife photographs have been announced as finalists in RTÉ’s wildlife photography competition, Eye on Nature.
Badgers, swans, frogs, sabre wasps and coots are among the animals featured in the photographs that made the final of RTÉ’s Eye on Nature which is a partnership between RTÉ’s Nationwide, Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ Radio 1 and the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the National Botanic Gardens.
The ten finalists, all amateur photographers, are based all over Ireland and were shortlisted from over two and half thousand entries. The winning Eye on Nature photo will be revealed on RTÉ One’s Nationwide on Friday 23rd June at 7pm, presented by Anne Cassin and Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh.
The ten finalists are: Dublin-based Romanian amateur photographer Petricia Bratila’s photo of a Mute Swan; Edward Delaney’s picture of a Common Frog in Wexford; Waterford’s Andrew Malcolm’s shot of a Sabre Wasp; Tristane Bane’s photograph of a Red Fox; Karl Graef’s photo of a Badger at Meelick, County Clare; Paul Campbell’s shot of a Coot in Dublin; Antrim’s Thomas McDonnell’s picture of a Hare; Philip Greaves photo of a Red Mason Bee in Tipperary; Limerick’s Daniel Meehan’s photograph of a Rabbit and Ashling Byrne’s photo of a Fox in Rathfarnham.
Executive Producer Janet Frawley said: "Every year there is such a great response from the public to the Eye on nature competition and this year is a particularly special one as the competition is part of the 30th birthday celebration for Ireland’s most watched television feature news-programme, Nationwide. The judges were blown away by the volume and quality of the entries to the competition. The work of our ten finalists is a testament to the photography talent in Ireland. The photographs also perfectly illustrate the beauty of our natural world and highlight the biodiversity that exists in our wild places."
The final ten photos and the winner of this year’s competition were chosen by this year’s judging panel: Director of National Botanic Gardens of Ireland Dr Matthew Jebb, Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland and award-winning nature-photographer Sheena Jolley.
Speaking about the competition Dr Matthew Jebb said: "Eye on Nature illustrates perfectly the biodiversity in the Irish landscape from the unusual Sabre Wasp to the common frog and our native red fox. I hope these ten stunning images of Irish wildlife inspire viewers to cherish the natural world. Congratulations to all our ten finalists whose photography was exceptional again this year. It was exceeding difficult to select a winner."
Now in its third year, RTÉ’s Eye on Nature competition gives wildlife photographers across Ireland the opportunity to showcase their immense talent and they are invited to enter photographs of wildlife for a chance to win a cash prize of €1,000 and the Eye on Nature trophy. The photographs of the ten finalists and a further eight merit photographs will be displayed at an exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens.The exhibition will travel to other OPW sites later this year and the exhibition is also available online at RTE.ie
Finalists
1. Petrica Bratila – 'Mute Swan' - Dublin (Cygnus olor)
Petrica is an amateur photographer from Romania, living in Dublin. He moved to Ireland in 2017 and has been taking wildlife photos for about three years. His favourite places to photograph wildlife are on the river Dodder and in Bushy Park, where this picture was captured. He feels so lucky to have both areas nearby. He entered the competition last year and was beyond thrilled to be a finalist in this year's competition.
2. Edward W. Delaney – ‘Common Frog’ - Wexford (Loscán, Rana Temporaria)
Edward is an amateur photographer, taking photos for over 60 years. An Irish natural history photographer, based in New Ross, Co. Wexford, he always had a love for wildlife photography and his daughter Siobhan said when she was growing up, she could find him anywhere, most likely up a tree taking photos. He has given many talks at local schools in New Ross about wildlife to encourage young people to take up wildlife photography.
3. Andrew Malcolm – ‘Sabre Wasp’ - Waterford (Rhyssa persuasoria)
Andrew is an amateur photographer and works as a Forager who finds and eats healthy, local ingredients that grow in the wild. He comes from Lismore, Co Waterford. He lost several trees in his garden to a big storm in 2021. In August 2022 he found an incredible looking insect - called a Sabre wasp (rhyssa persuasoria). Andrew loves taking photos of Waterford wildlife of all sizes from insects to whales and everything in between.
4. Tristan Bane- ‘Red Fox’ - Antrim (Sionnach, Vulpes vulpes)
Tristan is a passionate amateur photographer who works in IT. He has been photographing a family of foxes that live behind his house for several years. He has watched the fox featured in his shortlisted photograph since he was a cub in 2020.
5. Karl Graef- ‘Badger’ Co Clare (Broc, Meles meles)
Karl is an amateur photographer for over 20 years with a special interest in wildlife and feels privileged to have beautiful wildlife and scenery on his doorstep in Meelick, Co Clare. He works as a machine operator; but loves the time he spends pursuing photography.
6. Paul Campbell- ‘Coot’ - Dublin (Fulica atra)
Paul is an amateur photographer and has been taking wildlife pictures for the last 5 years. Paul is over the moon to be a finalist in this year's competition.
7. Thomas McDonnell – ‘Hare’ - Antrim (Lepus timidus)
Thomas has been taking photographs for on and off for about 35 years. He works as a maintenance man on his local ferry, and he is surrounded by beauty and nature all day long. Thomas has always had a huge passion for photography. He was shocked and delighted when he found out he was a finalist in this year's competition. His favourite place to take photographs is in and around the beautiful Rathlin Island.
8. Philip Greaves – ‘Red Mason Bee’ – Clonmel, Tipperary (Osmia bicornis)
Philip has been taking wildlife pictures for over 45 years. He is originally from the UK and served in the Royal Air Force.His interest in photographing Solitary Bees came about during lockdown, he said he was in his garden one day and something small flew past him and he became fascinated which led him to macro photography and setting up bee hotels, which he now has several bee hotels around his garden.
9. Daniel Meehan – ‘Rabbit’, Co Limerick (Coínín Oryotolagus cuniculus)
Daniel is an amateur photographer with a passion for wildlife and where he lives in Limerick means he has beautiful countryside on his doorstep. He works as a Medical Device Engineer and loves the fact that his job and photography are both creative in diverse ways and he enjoys all aspects of them.
10. Ashling Byrne – ‘Fox’, Rathfarnham, Dublin (Sionnach, Vulpes vulpes)
Ashling is an extremely passionate wildlife amateur photographer who works for An Post. She loves pursuing her passion for wildlife photography. She likes to join the foxes in the early hours of sunrise to enjoy their company. Her photo happened by chance, as she waited to take the picture a jogger went past, and this is why the vixen has her ears pricked and is in her stance. Ashling was completely shocked when he learned she was a finalist and that this was a dream come true for her.
The winner of Eye on Nature will be announced on a special edition of Nationwide on Friday 23rd June at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
PLEASE NOTE - THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - Winner to be announced in due course.
Eye On Nature, RTÉ's annual wildlife photography competition, is open for entries
Eye on Nature, RTÉ's wildlife photography competition, launches tonight on RTÉ One’s Nationwide in association with Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ Radio 1 and the National Botanic Gardens/OPW.
For the third year, RTÉ’s Eye on Nature will give wildlife photographers across Ireland the opportunity to showcase their immense talent and highlight Ireland’s biodiversity and the beauty of the natural world around us. Both amateur and professional photographers are welcome to enter photographs of landscapes, flora and fauna in the competition for a chance to win a cash prize of €1,000.
Last year’s winner was a strikingly beautiful photo of a Red Squirrel (Iora rua, Sciurus vulgaris) taken by Jimmy Mc Donnell from Newcastle in County Wicklow.
Presenter Anne Cassin will launch Eye on Nature on RTÉ One's Nationwide tonight, Wednesday 15th February at 7pm, from the National Botanic Gardens. She will interview all three of the judges and will have all the details of this year’s competition.
Director of National Botanic Gardens of Ireland Dr Matthew Jebb returns as a judge for the third year of Eye on Nature. He will be joined on the judging panel by Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland and award-winning nature-photographer Sheena Jolley.
Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ Radio 1 (Monday nights at 10pm) is the radio home of the competition and will feature interviews with all three judges in the lead up to the competition deadline on Wednesday 22nd March. On RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, Nationwide will present stories connected to Eye on Nature every Wednesday for six weeks showcasing the biodiversity, Irish landscapes and the natural world on these shores.
Dr Matthew Jebb said: "I’m delighted once again for the OPW and the Botanic Gardens to partner with RTÉ for Eye on Nature. The outdoor exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens has been a fantastic way to showcase the finalists in a truly unique way, and once again we will be touring these to other OPW sites during the summer at Portumna House and Gardens and Athenry Castle. To date the winners of the competition have all been photographs of animals, this year as a judge I’d love to see some amazing shots of the plants and flowers from the Irish landscape."
Irish award-winning nature photographer Sheena Jolley said: "This competition is a great opportunity to submit your images and showcase our rich natural heritage focusing not only on the detail of its beauty but also on the thrill of observing your subject in its natural landscape. I am so looking forward to seeing the work of Ireland’s talented photographers, viewing the stories that their images tell and giving them the opportunity to communicate more awareness of our natural biodiversity and so promote its conservation."
BirdWatch Ireland’s Niall Hatch said: "I am delighted to be one of the judges for this fantastic competition, which shines a very welcome spotlight on the beauty of Ireland's world-class natural heritage. The standard of entries over the past two years has been extraordinarily high, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing the photographs that we receive this time around. I tend to favour images which capture the natural behaviours and habitats of wild creatures and, most importantly of all, ones where there has been no disturbance and everything looks as natural as possible. The welfare of the subject must always come first, as far as I am concerned."
The closing date for entries to Eye on Nature is midnight on Wednesday 22nd March 2023. Entries can be submitted to www.rte.ie/eyeonnature. where full details along with Terms and Conditions will be found.
A shortlist of twelve photographs will be included in an exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens this summer and the winner will be announced on RTÉ’s Nationwide. An online gallery will also be available.
The Eye on Nature 2022 Competition
A strikingly beautiful image of a Red Squirrel (Iora rua, Sciurus vulgaris) taken by Jimmy Mc Donnell from Newcastle Co. Wicklow has just been announced as the overall winner in the RTÉ Eye On Nature wildlife photography competition.
RTÉ and the National Botanic Gardens of Ireland with the Office of Public Works launched this year's competition in January 2022 on Mooney Goes Wild on RTÉ Radio 1 and Today on RTÉ One.
Derek Mooney was in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin to announce the overall winner.
The Eye on Nature 2021 Competition
Larry Doherty from Thurles in Co Tipperary is the overall winner of the inaugural RTÉ Eye on Nature wildlife photography competition. Larry took this amazing picture of an Orange Ladybird.
Larry Doherty with his trophy
The inaugural RTÉ Eye On Nature trophy
Thank you to everyone who took part in the competition and we look forward to seeing more of your pictures next year.
Look through our gallery to see the finalists of Ireland's newest national wildlife photographic competition.
Marcin Kaczmarkiewicz | Swan cygnet (Eala bhalbh, Cygnus olor). River Barrow, Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow.
Larry Doherty | Orange ladybird (bóin Dé buí, Halyzia sedecimguttata). Cabragh. Wetlands, Thurles, Co. Tipperary.
Ruth Kelly | Grey seal pup (Lao Mara, Halichoerus grypus). Great Saltee Island, Co. Wexford.
Tristan Bane | Red fox cub on logs (Sionnach, Vulpes vulpes). Ravenhill, Belfast, Co.Antrim.
Edele Cunningham | Fallow buck amongst trees (Fia buí, Dama dama). Phoenix Park, Dublin, Co. Dublin.
Paul Fetherstonhaugh | Jay with red squirrel (Iora rua; scréachóg choille, Sciurus vulgaris; Garrulus glandarius). Garryhinch, Co. Laois.
Johnny Mitchell | Hare (Giorria, Lepus timidus). Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.
Philip Greaves | Patchwork leafcutter bee (Beach gearrthóir duille, Megachile centuncularis). Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.
Tom McDonnell | Hares boxing (Giorria, Lepus timidus). Rathlin Island, Co. Antrim.
James Crombie | Starling murmuration (Druid, Sturnus vulgaris). Lough Ennell, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath.
Feargal Quinn | Barn owl (Scréachóg reilige, Tyto alba). Ballyfin, Co. Laois.
Andrew Yeates | Kingfishers mating (Cruidín, Alcedo atthis). River Boyne, Navan, Co. Meath.
PLEASE NOTE - THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - FROM 5PM FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY
Welcome to the Eye on Nature Wildlife Photographic Competition... and your chance to be part of a photographic exhibition at the National Botanic Gardens and win a cash prize of €1000.
Eye On Nature is a new partnership with RTÉ and OPW/Botanic Gardens for a brand new wildlife photography competition with TV, radio and digital programme partners: The Today Show, Mooney Goes Wild and rte.ie
Running from January 11 until February 5, the competition will culminate in a photographic exhibition in March at the National Botanic Gardens with the overall winner of the cash prize of €1000 announced live on air on The Today Show. Whether you're using a camera or a phone for your photograph we encourage you to use the highest possible resolution jpeg image to a maximum size of 150MB when you are submitting your entry.
PLEASE NOTE - THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED - FROM 5PM FRIDAY 5TH FEBRUARY
The aim is to showcase the beauty of the wildlife in the Irish landscape.
The winning photographs will also be published on RTÉ.ie/nature Please see T&Cs