Shannon dolphins at risk

A large pod of bottlenose dolphins, resident in the Shannon Estuary for centuries, may not be nearly as well-known as a fellow dolphin further down the coast, in Dingle, Co Kerry, writes Donal Hickey

However, the Shannon dolphins, believed to be the biggest such group in Europe, are interesting in their own right.

The celebrated Fungie appears to be a solitary dolphin in Dingle Harbour, but the pod in the estuary numbers up to 140 and the figure has remained stable for many years. To all appearances, the dolphins they are doing very well. Though I’ve crossed the estuary on the car ferry many times, I’ve never seen the dolphins. For watchers, the best thing to do is probably to go on a scheduled tour.