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Reintroduction Project Manager Allan Mee holds the eagle found in Tipperary last month. Department of Arts, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht

Gardaí still carrying out "extensive investigations" over killing of white-tailed eagle

A post-mortem carried out on the male eagle confirmed it had been hit with around 50 shotgun pellets.

MINISTER JIMMY DEENIHAN says gardaí are still carrying out inquiries into the death of one of the first white-tailed eagles to be successfully bred in Ireland.

The bird was found dead in Tipperary early last month after being shot. The National Parks and Wildlife Service are also investigating.

A post-mortem carried our on the male eagle confirmed it had been hit with around 50 shotgun pellets, but did not die immediately.

The bird had been part of a breeding programme in Clare, and was one of two chicks reared by a pair of eagles on Lough Derg. It had flown the nest in July last year.

“I am sure people were very much aware of the incident in that particular area, but as yet I am not aware of any prosecution,” the Arts and Heritage Minister told the Dáil this week.

“We have had discussions with the Garda on this matter and members of the force are carrying out extensive investigations and inquiries.

“Much depends, however, on the local community coming forward with information because it is impossible for the Garda to monitor everything that happens in rural areas.”

In 2012, two eagles of the same breed were found dead in Mayo and Donegal, having been released from Killarney National Park in 2010.

A post mortem revealed that one of the birds had high levels of poison in its system, and had also been shot.

Two others were poisoned in Co Cork last year, one of them fatally.

Read: One of the first white-tailed eagles bred in Ireland found dead after being shot

Read: White-tailed Eagles make Clare their new nest after 100-year wait

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47 Comments
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    Mute Dave Fingleton
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:27 AM

    This is really really depressing ..there are raptors nesting close to where I live. What a thrill it is to see them fly and hunt. Such beauty. To just shoot an eagle for the sake of it?? So sad..

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    Mute Ailís McKernan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:36 AM

    Same here. Every time I see the pair near where I live, and it is usually very early morning, it sets me up for the day! They are exhilarating to watch. What a crime it is to do anything other than respect these birds.

    116
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    Mute Joseph O'Regan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:21 AM

    Why do people do such things?

    206
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    Mute Tanya Lawless
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:19 AM

    Humans sicken me, think there big with their shotguns..

    191
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    Mute David Newman
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:29 AM

    The actions of an uneducated, backward thinking idiot. It cant be that hard to find out who, its either the land owner or who ever the land owner gives permissiom to.

    188
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:21 AM

    Might not be the land owner and the person shooting might not have bothered asking for permission.

    44
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    Mute Cathal Leonard
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:52 AM

    The killing of such a rare majestic creature is disgusting. There can’t be too many registered shotgun owners in that area, each one should be visited and at the very least be banned from having a gun and in my mind do time.

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    Mute Fred O'Connor
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:29 AM

    Tragic as all this is, Cathal, do you not think that what you’re proposing is a tad excessive? Taking away shotguns from every licensed person in an unspecified catchment area and possibly jailing them all too?
    Granted you might catch the culprit(s) in the net, but what if he is an unlicensed gun owner? Plenty of those in Ireland. What if he lives a mile outside your arbitrary catchment area? And what about all the innocent people?

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    Mute Bobby Ewing
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:01 AM

    Thick stupid people, Eagles main prey in country side vermin, not lambs and live stock.

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    Mute Paddy Hannigan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 2:43 PM

    But my sisters friends cousins third aunt twice removed said that she saw one fly off with a fully growen bullock and feed it whole to one of its chicks so it must be ture. /sarcasm.

    18
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    Mute Darren Carroll
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:47 AM

    People in rural ireland are been robbed every night &garda are sent to investigate a dead bird #great little country

    34
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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:37 AM

    WTF has the extermination of eagles got to got with prople getting robbed,maybe you think a protected bird being poisoned and shot isnt a serious enough offence,you would much prefer if they were never allowed the freedom to breed here, if it was swans there is no doubt every effort would be made to track down and find those responsible.

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    Mute Dexter Gordon
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    Apr 20th 2014, 1:32 AM

    Darren, you epitomise all that is wrong with this country!

    3
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    Mute Nicko Farrell
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:34 AM

    Don’t think urban folks can be blamed for any of these killings, would it be down to ” the guardians of our countryside” perhaps?

    33
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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:22 AM

    Where do you think that urbanites go to shoot – the Phoenix park?

    27
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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Apr 19th 2014, 5:36 PM

    Many shoot up there in the Phoenix Park, but most do it off O’Connell St…

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    Mute Noble Gas
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:35 AM

    They should bring in a eagle lamb lotto – if your lamb gets eaten by a eagle you win a 1000 euro.

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    Mute Shay
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    Apr 19th 2014, 8:38 AM

    They dont kill lambs, so your lotto is pretty crap.

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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    Apr 19th 2014, 2:17 PM

    It’s actually a great idea! The chances of winning are virtually nil but all the folk who think eagles kill lambs will want more eagles around instead of killing them- so they could win e1000. Genius

    10
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    Mute an Gealach Gorm
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    Apr 19th 2014, 11:27 AM

    Sounds like another case of that sad combination of man with a Big gun and a small willy .

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    Mute Jamie
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:02 AM

    You must take into account farmer’s position as well. These Eagles can pick the eyes out of lambs and numerous livestock have already been killed by similar Eagles. Very little thought went into this programme. I’m not justifying their killing though. Also anyone with a licensed shotgun could have shot the Eagle as long as the land wasn’t ‘protected.’

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    Mute Richard Sweeney
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:27 AM

    How is it that Norwegian farmers have no issue with the eagles? Pure ignorance leads to these killings.

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    Mute Ben Gunn
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:29 AM

    Rubbish, they do not attack lambs or other livestock. Rabbits, rats, mice and other birds occasionally are their main diet.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:57 AM

    White-tailed eagles picking the eyes out of lambs Jamie??? Where do you live…..Never Never Land?

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:23 AM

    They have been shown to pick the eyes out of dead lambs but they do not kill them.

    Quiet a big study in Scotland’s Islands showed this to be the case. Eagles killing lambs is a old Wives tale.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:49 AM

    “numerous livestock have already been killed by similar Eagles.” Where Jamie this will be news to most of the world Jamie. The scientific community and most of the rural community is waiting with bated breath for your proof that Eagles have being laying waste to live stock.

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    Mute Mark Collins
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    Apr 19th 2014, 11:13 AM

    While i understand the farmers plight these bird other birds of prey and predators deserve freedom on this land nature is not an enemy and we the horrible creatures that we are have to see the spoiled country side and lack of wildlife in our country . We have cut and preened the land to our needs only .the bear the wolf dear species birds fish mammal gone . We share the planet not own it other residents deserve consideration .

    11
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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Apr 19th 2014, 12:19 PM

    What plight? It’s all old wives tales.

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    Mute Shay
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    Apr 19th 2014, 1:33 PM

    The eagles main diet in Ireland is fish. They dont go near any livestock.

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Apr 19th 2014, 1:57 PM

    That can be a favourite trick of magpies. I don’t buy that myself at all, as an ex-falconer years ago. That study in Scotland was heavily criticized because of interests of certain farmers.

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    Mute John O'Neill
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    Apr 19th 2014, 5:34 PM

    Why then Seanie have all these blinded lambs not made the headlines?? Are the farmers supplying them with white sticks? You would imagine that proof would be provided in video evidence in this modern age if it were actually happening.
    I’ve heard that magpies do it and I’ve seen grey crows harassing and attacking young lambs, but they are scavengers and their methods of hunting are completely different to the white-tailed eagle who is an active hunter and known only to scavenge on dead carrion…

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    Mute Kevin Martin
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:34 AM

    There is no reason for farmers or anyone to have shotguns or any firearm in this day and age. If there is a problem with vermin, wild dogs etc then a community based group under garda general supervision should be called.

    The bringing back of eagles to the wilderness in Ireland is perhaps 100 years too soon however and its naive to think that this would not happen. Just one idiot with one shotgun in some remote location is needed. Of course there are idiots with guns in the cities too. But they are normally drug dealers mstly killing each-other. The ordinary man or woman has no need for firearms and they should simply be outlawed.

    Inevitably these small minded people will die out, their children educated and spread to the four winds.

    Only large scale farming with proper controls of “this sort of thing” will survive.

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    Mute Kevin Martin
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    Apr 19th 2014, 9:45 AM

    Im wasn’t saying the idiots with guns in the cities are to blame. Of course there are hunting enthusiasts in the cities who go hunting to remote locations etc. But likely this was a small minded farmer with a licensed shotgun who did it for fun or who does not want the status quo to change ir who felt threatened etc.

    The bottom line s that its too soon for this type of initiative in Ireland. Leave the birds to thrive in Norway and such places for now and put it down to a lesson learned. The future is in educated the kids of these type of people and in time the attitudes will change.

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:24 AM

    Are you high?

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    Mute SeanieRyan
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:27 AM

    There are too many Birds being shot but most of them are still surviving. It didn’t take much for you to be calling for people to give up.

    Keep that quitter aspect to your own life, no one else wants to hear it.

    14
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Apr 19th 2014, 5:24 PM

    *cough, cough.

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    Mute Caitríona Muireann Bolger
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    Apr 19th 2014, 11:49 AM

    Such a shame – saw one in all it’s glory over one of the lakes in killarney, absolutely majestic creature. Such a pity some people get a thrill out of these things…

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    Mute Fred O'Connor
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:37 AM

    Alot of people seem to be suggesting that the eagle was shot for sport. Is it not the case that some farmers believe eagles are threat to livestock? I’ll be clear that I’m against killing any rare animal in either situation. But does anyone here know if eagles like this one pose any threat to livestock? It doesn’t look big enough to me. And is anything being done to educate landowners about large birds of prey?

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Apr 19th 2014, 10:46 AM

    No Fred it doesn’t pose any danger to live stock or human babies for that matter.

    26
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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Apr 19th 2014, 2:17 PM

    Link sheep headage payments to the successful reintroduction of birds of prey. For every bird killed by poison or shooting, payments cut by 5% nationally.

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    Mute Aidan Davitt
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    Apr 19th 2014, 11:03 AM

    Is it possible that there is one or a pair of these eagles in north Westmeath?
    Seem very similar looking birds, their size surprised me most.

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    Mute The Roaring Green
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    Apr 19th 2014, 11:38 AM

    Hi Aidan, it is quite possible that you might see one in Westmeath. They are moving around the country a lot now, you can follow the Golden Eagle Trust on Facebook and they give updates on known movements https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=691664740891442&set=a.145791098812145.28838.144404808950774&type=1&theater

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    Mute Shay
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    Apr 19th 2014, 1:39 PM

    Aidan you would know an eagle if you saw it. It is absolutly huge. It is possible that you saw Buzzards which have large wings and would be pretty common in westmeath.

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    Mute Luke Campbell
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    Apr 19th 2014, 4:22 PM

    Probably unwise to broadcast the eagles movements. Makes it easy for idiots to track them down.

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    Mute Roger O'Neill
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    Apr 19th 2014, 1:44 PM

    LETS START A CAMPAIGN. TO HAVE FOX HUNTING COMPLETELY BANNED. WITH HUGE FINES ENFORCED.

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    Mute Roger O'Neill
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    Apr 19th 2014, 1:41 PM

    IT IS TIME ALL LOCALS IN AN AREA OF 30 MILES WHERE THIS HAPPENED. HAD THEIR GUN LICENCES COMPLETELY TAKEN AWAY. ZERO TOLERANCE HAS TO BE INTRODUCED IN IRELAND. PEOPLE ARE COMPLETELT OUT OF CONTROL. ROGER.

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    Mute Brian Byrne
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    Apr 20th 2014, 12:39 AM

    What kind of Bas534rd would do such a thing. and during the breeding season they have killed more than one in doing this

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