'I'm always in the garden with the birds': The story behind huge Cork aviary and how rare birds are worth €2,000

Mahon resident Paul Weems has built one of Cork’s largest private aviaries, dedicating his weekends to breeding and showing rare birds rather than nights out

Larger than life and covered in tattoos, Paul Weems cuts an unlikely figure among the delicate show birds he breeds in the shed he built behind his Mahon home — a peaceful world away with the birds that has become his pride and joy. Picture Chani Anderson

Paul Weems has always favoured the melody of his hundreds of birds over pub songs on a Saturday night.

The proud owner of one of Cork’s largest collections of winged creatures says you won’t find him sipping pints or placing bets in the bookies on any given weekend. He prefers instead to seek solace in his beloved aviary, even if it’s just to clean out the myriad enclosures.