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Updated at 11.01pm
IT’S JUST OVER a year since Kerry senator Ned O’Sullivan dragged seagulls (kicking and squawking) into the Irish political spotlight.
The nation’s Herring Gulls had “lost the run of themselves completely” the Fianna Fáil politician opined (pointing out, in the course of his address to the upper chamber, that he had nothing whatsoever against pigeons).
“I saw that they’re getting so cheeky now that they attack young children and dispossess them of their lollipops and stuff like that,” he continued, citing complaints from listeners on a recent Liveline.
The general response to O’Sullivan’s calls for government action on the issue? Sniggers, mostly… But perhaps that was more to do with the way he phrased his complaint, than its content.
It’s a subject people have been talking about again in recent days: partly because the pesky things are at the height of their breeding season at the moment, and are therefore behaving quite aggressively – but also because David Cameron had some harsh things to say about the creatures.
The British Prime Minister wants to “start a big conversation” about what can be done about them, he said – and he’s not ruling out a cull.
It was after gulls killed a Yorkshire Terrier in Newquay last week. Elsewhere in the UK, they were seen turning over and eating (alive) a pet tortoise.
Doubling down
Our own politicians were also talking about the subject today – with O’Sullivan’s party colleague Senator Denis O’Donovan calling for a Seanad debate on the problem.
“Seagulls have killed lambs and rabbits and we are reaching the stage where they are endangering society,” he insisted, saying Ireland should also consider a cull of the species.
Their behaviour is sometimes like that of a rabbit with myxomatosis or a cow with mad cow disease.
Protected species
As members of Birdwatch Ireland explained to us in the wake of O’Sullivan’s initial comments, studies have shown the population of Herring Gulls is down by a whopping 90 per cent in the last two decades.
However, we may be noticing them around more because the birds are increasingly moving into urban areas. Around Dublin Bay in particular, they’re making the move inland to breed because many of the islands they would typically use are infested with egg-eating rats.
According to the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the reduction in population over the last 20 years is partly as a result of better management of municipal dumps, where the gulls would once have gathered in large numbers to feed.
They remain a protected species, a spokesperson said in response to a query from TheJournal.ie today today.
There is no change to the Department’s policy on this issue.
Asked whether control measures could be imposed locally, the spokesperson said:
“Individuals may apply to the Department for a licence where seagulls are considered a nuisance.
However, it is advisable that concerned individuals should contact their local conservation ranger, in the first instance, who will advise them of all options in order to address the situation.
Breeding season, you’ll be pleased to hear, generally lasts until around the end of July.
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We shouldn’t forget that only a very small percentage of Irish seagulls have become radicalised
Yeah it’s just a few ‘bad eggs’…..
some are very gullable
Ah leave the gulls alone what harm are they doing maybe its ff that needs the culling :-)
Well there is some load of them where I live.. Sh#ting all over the place and being a real menace.. I acquired a big air rifle recently and I’ve started my own cull.. They are getting way out of hand and someone needs to sort it.. I love all types of animals but they are a real menace and need to be kept under control..
prat
G@bshite
Just to let Ye know there is a lot more to it than I said there.. I live in a built up area and everyone is complaining about them.. They have actually ruined garden s, sh@te on little kids etc.. They don’t die from being hit.. It scares the be-jaysus out of them.. And they are not around as much anymore so it works..
They’ve no fish u FF Moppet
‘Vicious seagulls behaving like cows “with mad cow disease” ‘
Yes, I’ll never forget the time a mad cow swooped down from the sky, nicked my car keys and flew off…..
Terrible business altogether. Still can’t eat yogurt.
I never mix Lsd and yogurt, same thing happened to me.
Ah, that explains it. Probably just as well I lost my car keys….
I thought it was April fools day listening to the 98fm news.. The top story was about a seagull cull because some Woman got her phone stolen by one of them in the Botanic Gardens. They even had your one on telling how she went into the local Garda station to report it as a crime.. Honest to jasus with all that is going on in the World we have the leading news story about a woman getting her phone stolen by a seagull…
It’s because the highly controlled media don’t want you to hear the real news. Trim courthouse anyone?
A Seagull approach some friends in Bird Avenue offering an iPhone at a reasonable price!
They didn’t bite!
@Ciaran Coye: Yes Ciaran, what’s the latest on Paul Coddington, have they found him?
Tell Ciaran please.
They’re getting very cheeky alright, I got mugged and beaten up by a gang of them on the seafront in Clontarf…. Be careful out there people.
Few Eagles would do the job, bloody majestic things and gulls are terrified of them
If only we hadn’t hunted them to the point we import breeding pairs .
City gulls just seem to find out early…
Then we can get dragons to take care of the eagles when they become all pms!
I live in an attic flat and the brats are nesting on the roof. They may as well be in bed with me they are so damn noisy.
They’ve lost the run of themselves them dam gulls, nearly mugged by them for my sandwich in Stevens Green the other day
They’re living way beyond their means
All joking aside tho I’d say their well capable of seriously injuring someone, they’ve (almost) wiped out the ducks in the green, their beaks would take the eye out of ye, it’s cull time IMO
Gulls are getting rare and will need protection in they keep declining at the rate they are.
Is it joking me you are?? It started with a small few where I am and there is easily 100 of them now.. Most of them really young..
Read up on it both Great Black Gulls & Herring Gulls are red listed due to serious population decline. in fact a lot of seabirds are under pressure due to failing food sources due to climate change. Hungry Gulls are just smart enough to realise humans on a Sunday in howth will throw them a chip on a Sunday… sure feck it why. won’t they give them chips everywhere else. If Gulls are getting more bolshie there’s a reason. likely a mixture of hunger & behaviour change from humans feeding them.
Put an aspirin in bread and feed it to them. Their insides go boom! Bit cruel but it’s not like their an endangered species
Herring Gull – Red-listed due to its rapidly declining population
Great Black Backed Gull – Amber-listed due to its declining population
Black Headed Gull – Red-listed due to its rapidly declining and localised breeding population
Source Birdwatch Ireland.
“But they robbed my chips in Howth on a sunny Sunday so kill the baastards” We should be culling the opportunistic arrsehole FF senators & TDs
Gulls, enjoy them while you can.
I think we need to really get tough with these rogue seagulls, a stern verbal warning initially, then if they’re belligerent enough to ignore that & continue to act disorderly, we should bring proceedings against them in a court of law & give them all suspended sentences . . . That’ll teach the flockers!
Sign me up for the cull. Would they consider adding magpies to the list???
And government ministers.
Poor old magpies are on the list already – as vermin – so blast away. On the other hand, seeing as magpies are clever as fu(k, maybe shoot high?
Why David why do we cull them
I have two magpies every morning at 06.00 tapping at my bedroom door ..
Dirty buggers!
Mark…in order to sleep safe at night. The junkies are next
Grot…I believe you can shoot them on your own land. Unfortunately around your apt block doesn’t cut it.
They kill smaller birds Mark. massive decline in songbirds last few years.
Magpies are not the reason for the decline in songbirds
There should be a fine imposed on people who feed those seagulls, specially in Stephen’s Green. People who dont dispose their rubbish in a proper manner also should be fined. It is totally people’s fault they seagulls. magpies, pigeons became pests and agressive.
FF at 18% , huge economic and social issues throughout the country and top of the list is to kill a few pesky sea birds. A waste of space
Kenny .martin and iPhone Joan are more dangerous to the public than the gulls
About a year and a half ago, I was on Grafton Street and a guy was opening up his Subway roll. He was about to tuck in when a seagull swooped down and grabbed the entire thing and flew off with it! His face was priceless, he looked completely stunned and thinking as if, “Did that actually just happen?!” I wish I caught it on camera. Those pesky seagulls!
That’s the funniest thing I ever heard! :)
Shower of fcuking eejits
Maybe The Gardaí can have the flying squad look into it for them?
Feed them pieces of dry bread with Alka Selzer tablets hidden in the middle!
Surely public hangings might aswell go medieval on it
Thanks Ned. Yes to theft from the population’s bank or other accounts – No to seagulls. Only thirteen senators against this bill, which will have severe consequences unrelated to water charges. I voted to abolish the Senate, sadly I was in the minority.
Cows with mad cow disease and rabbits with myxo would be about to die.
Senator ned o s another Healy Rae type his contributions to Irish politics as always marvellous well worth his salary
They are so like the country people mooving (pun) to Dublin , so exciting lol …
Any chance we can swap you for one of the country people?
A million crunchy people are not even my equal , as for you lol
Whisht Kizzy, Or you won`t be let back into Howth where you come from you`ll have to stay in Enniskillen where you are now.
as for being my Equal?? – Girl, i`d buy and sell you anyday of the week (Pun intended, if you are smart enough to get it )
Have a good one Hon! ;-)
Binn Eadir now honey lol
what country?
@Pearse. Nice one :)
I have had to close the window in my flat the last few days/nights as they’re constantly flying around it.
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