Mooney Goes Wild

Ireland’s historic Royal Canal, originally built in the late 1700s, is now home to the longest Greenway in the country which extends from Dublin to Longford. Author Tom Dredge speaks to Éanna Ní Lamhna about his new book about the waterway, 'Rambling Along the Royal Canal: A Journey into the Heart of Ireland.'

Duration:00:11:01

Wings and Bird Detectives: we take a look at BirdWatch Ireland’s membership magazines

BirdWatch Ireland is Ireland’s largest wildlife conservation charity, with a nationwide membership of over 15,000. Those members all receive Wings, the NGO’s main membership magazine, and the children's edition, Bird Detectives. Niall Hatch takes us through the key issues in both magazines this summer.

Duration:00:12:36

Global Action Plan: helping people to reconnect with nature

Global Action Plan is an environmental charity that guides people on a journey of discovery to reconnect us with nature and with one another. Terry Flanagan, met with Hans Zomer, CEO of GAP, and Niamh Ní Iceadha, the charity’s Education Officer, in the organisation’s Ballymun GLAS gardens, where they outlined some of their initiatives.

Duration:00:07:24

Are butterflies finally flying high again this year?

Over the course of the summer, we received lots of positive emails from listeners about improved butterfly numbers. Terry Flanagan met lepidopterist Jesmond Harding of Butterfly Conservation Ireland to find out whether our optimism this year is justified.

Duration:00:21:16

Ancient Music in the Forest

Brendan Fitzpatrick sent a voice note to tell us about an interesting music festival. This summer, Co. Wicklow is alive with the sound of Ancient Music in the Forest, a festival celebrating ancient, traditional and early music in the natural forest amphitheatre at Dorlindon Nature Sanctuary, Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow.

Duration:00:00:49

Noisy Sparrowhawks

Ornithologist, author and regular contributor Eric Dempsey has had Sparrowhawks on his mind too. In recent days, a newly fledged hawk has taken up residence close to his house in Co. Wicklow and has literally been screaming loudly for its parents to bring it food.

Duration:00:03:06

Urban wildlife goes off the rails in Dublin!

Two of the most popular urban-dwelling creatures you may encounter at home or during your commute are the Red Fox and the Sparrowhawk. These two species just so happen to be the subjects of one of Ireland's largest street art projects at the Aviva Stadium. Terry, Richard and Niall decided to take a DART to the area to investigate.

Duration:00:40:02

Wild Dublin – second edition is on the way!

Among her many credits, Éanna Ní Lamhna is a celebrated and prolific natural history author, with many books under her belt. One of the most popular of those books is 'Wild Dublin – Exploring Nature in the City', which was first published in 2008. Excitingly, Éanna tells us that an updated second edition will soon be published.

Duration:00:06:27

On the trail of foraging foxes and backyard badgers!

8/18/2025

Tonight’s episode of Mooney Goes Wild is a bit different. We decided to send Terry Flanagan and Niall Hatch off on a very special mission...to travel to Rathfarnham in Dublin and get up close and personal with the nocturnal Irish predators that visit Martin's back garden.

Duration:00:54:05

Forgotten Forests: Twelve Thousand Years of British and Irish Woodlands

The forests of Britain and Ireland not only fuelled their indigenous populations, but also the Romans, Anglo Saxons, Vikings and Normans. Tonight, Éanna chats to biologist Jonathan Mullard, who is the author of a recently published book entitled 'Forgotten Forests: Twelve Thousand Years of British and Irish Woodlands'

Duration:00:19:58

Ealing Wildlife Group: an update

While at the Global Birdfair in Rutland, England, Niall was delighted to bump into a good friend of ours here at Mooney Goes Wild: Dr Seán McCormack. Niall spoke to Seán about the Ealing Beaver Project at the wonderfully named Paradise Fields, and the 'gay icon' Peregrine Falcons at Ealing Hospital.

Duration:00:10:29

“Wonder reptile” fossil challenges ideas about how and when feathers evolved

A recent development has turned much of what scientists believed about the origin of feathers on its head. We are delighted to speak with Prof. Maria McNamara and Dr Valentina Rossi from UCC’s School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences about an amazing fossil discovery in France.

Duration:00:15:32

This is the time of year when wasp behaviour tends to change . . . and we are more likely to get stung

While Breda may be lacking insects around her home, Niall tells us that he has the opposite problem at the moment: Common Wasps are nesting in a cavity below the front door of his house.

Duration:00:03:44

Where have all the insects gone?