Anja Murray: Breeding season begins for Ireland's majestic white-tailed sea eagles

White-tailed eagles in Ireland are once again a great source of pride, as well as an asset to the local economy

A male white-tailed eagle seen at Mountshannon, Co. Clare. Picture: Arthur English

White-tailed sea eagles are the largest bird of prey in Ireland. Their outstretched wings can span two-and-a-half metres, earning them the description of a ‘flying barn door’. Seeing one of these powerful apex predators swoop through the air is an exhilarating experience. My one experience of seeing them, near Glengarriff in west Cork, was an experience I’ll never forget.

For thousands of years, both golden eagles and the white-tailed sea eagles were widespread here. Way back in Mesolithic times, we know that people held eagles in high esteem, as bones have been uncovered from archaeological digs which suggest that our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate eagles in some kind of ritual or ceremonial way. For thousands of years since, people respected and even revered eagles as a symbol of wisdom and power. Having seen one in person, this makes perfect sense.