Where eagles dare: Can the Killarney project survive?

IT was farmers who first got into a flap about the idea of reintroducing white-tailed eagles to Kerry and the south-west. In advance of the arrival of the first lot of birds in the summer of 2007, the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) organised well-attended meetings to voice objections.

Farmers issued dire warnings that these magnificent birds descending from the skies would devour lambs while some of the more militant landowners were threatening to shoot or poison them. And there were some outrageous political mutterings about eagles snatching babies from prams… as if ferocious winged creatures from the dinosaur era were about to return.

Eagles became extinct in Kerry about 100 years ago because of persecution. Is history going to repeat itself? The main reason for current farmer opposition to the eagles, however, is a fear that extra EU legislation might be imposed on them for the benefit of the eagles. Such legislation could lead to restrictions in farming activities, more land dedicated to conservation and would, they say, make an already over-regulated situation worse.