Summer is signalled as mingling martins return

THE MARTINS at Togher Church near Dunmanway returned from Africa to find their homes newly-painted white to match the new paint job of the church, on the eaves of which they annually raise families.

Having, as usual, spring cleaned the nest interiors and replaced the bedding, they moved in without, apparently, a second thought.

While house martin is the popular name, clearly a church is as acceptable a home as a secular dwelling. For those exercised by such distinctions, martins nesting on Belfast churches might be seen as sectarian, although the birds will be blissfully unaware of this, themselves.