Life and death in the Black Valley
The 23 children probably know more about eagles than any other children in Ireland. They can see white-tailed eagles almost daily, soaring overhead and disappearing into the mists.
When they go out, they also know exactly where to look for the eagles and can observe them at long range through a telescope.
The death last week of two of the 15 eagles released in Killarney National Park last summer as part of a nature conservation project was genuinely regretted by the valley children and their teachers, Maureen Finnegan and Janice Gaine, who respect wildlife.
Project director Dr Allan Mee got the school interested in the project early on, and they followed the progress of the eagles. As seven-year-old Hannah O’Donoghue put it: “We wanted to learn more about them.” Eleven-year-old Kevin Quinn, who’d love to be a vet when he grows up, has noted how ravens keep the eagles company and perch beside them on tree branches, with the much smaller raven pecking its bigger counterpart.
Recently, Radio Kerry’s Treasa Murphy went to the valley to record a highly engaging, hour-long documentary about the eagles, using the all kinds of sounds to set an atmosphere as only radio can.
One of the issues highlighted was initial farmer opposition to the introduction of the eagles, amid claims they would kill lambs and their presence would result in the designation of even more land in the south-west exclusively for conservation purposes.
Though eagles have been extinct in the area for more than 100 years, stories about these majestic birds are still part of local folklore. The Eagle’s Nest is a prominent mountain landmark. According to one of the taller tales, an eagle once snatched a baby from a pram.
For the best part of 60 years sheep farmer Gene Tangney has lived in the Black Valley, which lies between Killarney and Kenmare. He’s reserving judgment for the present.
“We were worried when we heard about them (eagles), but as far as I can see they’re very quiet so far. We’ll have to wait until April and lambing time. April is the month that will tell the tale,” he said.
The strong suspicion is that the deaths of the eagles last week were caused by poisoning. The results of toxicology tests on samples taken from the birds should be available in a few weeks.
The deaths which came, ironically, when stirrings of new life in early springtime were everywhere to be seen, also raises the use of poison. It is now illegal for landowners to leave out poisoned meat baits. Any deliberate action to kill eagles could result in fines or penalties under the single farm payment scheme.
Dr Mee said he was unsure whether someone deliberately laid out poison for eagles or were targeting crows or ravens. “But the indiscriminate nature of poisoning, which also threatens other protected wildlife, sheep dogs, domestic pets or even children, is no longer acceptable where one is trying to restore eagles,” he said.
“We hope that all landowners can stop using poisoned meat baits this season and in future. The return of these eagles to the Kingdom has been widely welcomed. We appeal to the wider community in Kerry to support this effort and ensure these magnificent birds are simply tolerated around the coasts and hills of Kerry.” He pointed out that other forms of poison bait can still be legally used to control crows, ravens and foxes, such as eggs, bread and butter, chips or grain.
“Ideally, we would like to see people stop using poison. We are mindful of the concerns farmers have regarding eagles in general, and we have successfully dealt with similar concerns among farmers in Co Donegal, for example. And we are still determined to see white-tailed eagles re-established in Co Kerry, despite this considerable setback,” Dr Mee said.
Let’s leave the final words to the children of the Black Valley national school. In the panel, left, is a verse from a poem they composed.
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