Then of course there's Irish Technology.....

This is environmental Ireland at it's best. This is Co Offaly Power Station. Despite standing against the River Shannon this is not hydroelectric, this is peat-fueled... This eats the local boglands, which were once important habitats for Brent Geese. The cutting operation is also blamed for filling the Shannon causing flooding of the river margins... the callows... an important area for breeding birds...


This isn't an Irish invention, but I saw my first one today and thought that I'd share it. This is a 30 foot wide lawnmower, it's cutting capacity is brutal. Most of our callows have been cut by 5 foot 6 rotary cutters. This is equivalent to 6 tractors driving side by side...




The plot that this one is cutting had one calling male corncrake. It was the first corncrake in Ireland to be heard calling in 2006.. by me! We believe that the female actually used the opposite side of the river, where chicks were seen early in the summer by the farmer cutting there. We had not protected that side of the river.... It happens.

The great news is.... You can always find yourself a LUCKY RABBIT'S FOOT! (As long as you're willing to use to use Hare!)