Columns - Irish Examiner

Donal Hickey

Magical summer is here and people are heading toward the coast

Summer is here, at last, and with it comes the magnetic pull of the sea, writes Donal Hickey

Mon, 30 May, 2016

Flood plain mistakes mean expensive lessons have been learnt

NEW housing minister Simon Coveney accepts mistakes were made in the recent past over building on flood plains. Expensive lessons have been learnt, as many people who built and bought houses in such areas would agree.

Mon, 23 May, 2016

Wild deer an issue for State

FARMERS and other private landowners are losing patience over damage caused by roaming wild deer, some of which stray outside the bounds of State property such as national parks.

Mon, 16 May, 2016

The ancient tradition of Bealtaine is still celebrated

THE OLD pagan festival of Bealtaine, marking the coming of summer and the season of fertility, is still celebrated at an ancient stone fort at the foot of the Paps mountains, writes Donal Hickey

Mon, 09 May, 2016

Shipwreck history is riveting

WITH World War One being widely commemorated, most emphasis is on trench action. Battles at sea are often overlooked, but at least 2,000 Irishmen died on the waves and, in many cases, have no tangible monument or place to commemorate them because of the location of the wrecks, writes Donal Hickey

Mon, 02 May, 2016

Sightings of whales underway

If you see people on clifftops along the south and west coasts, with cameras, long lenses and binoculars from now until the early autumn, you can take it they’re almost certainly on the lookout for some of the biggest creatures found in the sea, writes Donal Hickey

Mon, 25 Apr, 2016

Waiting on buzz of summer

IN rural areas at times of unseasonally cold weather like we’ve been having of late, you’ll hear people say, ‘there are no midges around’. Neither are we likely to hear bees.

Mon, 18 Apr, 2016

Is Brexit bad for wildlife?

WORD from some environmentalists in Britain is that they’re worried about the impact on nature if the UK pulls out of the EU. 

Mon, 11 Apr, 2016

Divided opinion on trespassing deer in Killarney

AT THIS time, walkers in areas frequented by deer can come across cast antlers, treasured by some. March is the month when mature stags shed their antlers, writes Donal Hickey

Mon, 04 Apr, 2016

Ireland has great woodland but has the lowest forest cover of all European countries

MANY people will visit woodlands during the Easter holidays, sniffing the spring air, scenting conifers and just enjoying the trees and wildlife, writes Donal Hickey.

Mon, 28 Mar, 2016