Mooney Goes Wild

Ireland's curlew population has plummeted, but an ambitious conservation project is offering new hope. Twenty 'headstarted' chicks, hatched from eggs flown in from Yorkshire, were reared at Dublin Zoo before being released at Lough Corrib. Owen Murphy explains how the project is helping save this iconic bird...

This week's curlew-themed programme continues at Clara Bog, Co. Offaly, where visitors can now enjoy a new audio soundwalk. Created by Music Generation Offaly, composer Fiona Linnane and local TY students, it blends wildlife sounds, poetry and music. Terry Flanagan explores the bog with Ger Ralph from Music Generation Offaly...

Next Bank Holiday Monday (3 Aug) at midday, Eric Dempsey presents Nature On One: Casement, exploring Roger Casement's often overlooked passion for the natural world. The programme visits the National Museum of Ireland's natural history collections, including his remarkable west African rhinoceros viper...

The Curlew is the star of a new bilingual graphic novel helping young people understand climate change and biodiversity loss. Chasing The Curlew's Call, created by UCC and Met Éireann, uses storytelling to inspire children to connect with nature. Writer Dr Rosa Rogers joins us to discuss the project...

Tonight, we remember Bill Oddie by ending with The Funky Gibbon. From The Goodies to Springwatch, he inspired generations with his humour, love of birds and passion for conservation. Fittingly, the song was later re-released to support gibbon conservation - a perfect tribute to a remarkable broadcaster and naturalist.

Mooney Goes Wild listener George captured remarkable footage of an adult great spotted woodpecker feeding its youngster in his Monaghan garden. The species has spread rapidly across Ireland in recent years. George joins Derek, Richard and Terry to discuss his fascinating wildlife encounter...

The Wallace Line is an invisible boundary in Indonesia marking a remarkable divide in wildlife. West of it, animals are typically Asian; east, they’re Australasian. Richard and Terry explore its story with Derek, while BirdWatch Ireland's Niall Hatch joins from Indonesia to share his encounters with the region’s unique wildlife...

MGW listener Sean Geraty joins the programme with questions about "Elvis", the bald robin that's been visiting his garden. Why has Elvis lost his head feathers, and why did a parent bird single out one juvenile for aggression? Derek, Richard and Terry investigate the fascinating behaviour of this robin family...

Terry Flanagan visits Craddock House Nursing Home in Naas ahead of Nursing Homes Week 2026 (17–23 August). With this year's theme, "Connected With Nature", he meets residents and staff preparing a range of nature-inspired activities, and hears how nursing homes across Ireland can get involved...

Invasive Species Week highlighted the growing threat non-native plants pose to Ireland's biodiversity. Garden favourites like Cherry Laurel, Rhododendron and Spanish Bluebells can spread into the wild, displacing native species. Oisín O'Néill of the Irish Wildlife Trust explains why we should "be plant-wise, let nature lead and choose native"...

Did you know Ireland is home to 30 species of wild orchids? Terry Flanagan visited St. Theresa's in Mount Merrion, where Larry Gordon and Kate McLoughlin have spent 25 years caring for a meadow now blooming with four different native orchid species.

Derek, Terry and Eanna chat about nature and wildlife activities that can be enjoyed around Ireland in this lovely sunny weather, including visiting Ireland's Eye, and observing the gannet population there...

Last week we featured Sir Edwin Landseer's Scene in Braemar ahead of its Sotheby's auction. The dramatic Highland stag painting has now set a new auction record for the artist, selling for £5.9 million – well above its estimate and around five times the previous record for a Landseer work...

We love receiving your wildlife photos and videos (send them to mooney@rte.ie). James Morrisroe from Co Monaghan shared footage of a mystery visitor raiding his bins at dawn. Was it a pine marten? Our panel takes a closer look at the video and discusses the likely identity of this clever early-morning scavenger...

A new global report suggests centuries-old plant collections could help tackle today's biodiversity crisis, with UCC playing a key role. Johan Reyes Chavez, a PhD student at University College Cork and Climate & Innovation Officer with Fundación Ayuda en Acción in Honduras, discusses the report with Derek, Éanna and Terry...

A feasibility study is exploring the culling of invasive Grey Squirrels in Dublin and Wicklow to help native Red Squirrels return to urban areas. Led by Dr Emma Sheehy, the proposal has prompted public consultation and debate over balancing conservation goals with animal welfare concerns. She joins Derek and panel to tell us more about the study...

Bernie Dennehy from Cork feared she had accidentally poisoned a Blackbird after cleaning her patio with washing soda solution and later finding a dead bird. Our panellists explain washing soda isn't toxic to birds and exposure was minimal. A far more likely cause was a fatal collision with a window...

Sir Edwin Landseer's monumental Scene in Braemar, featuring a majestic Highland stag, goes under the hammer at Sotheby's in London this week with an estimate of £3-4 million. Derek speaks to Sotheby's specialist Julian Gascoigne about the dramatic Highland masterpiece and its significance...

The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group marks 35 years since Ireland became a whale and dolphin sanctuary. Ireland’s waters host over 25 cetacean species, but threats remain. Dr. Simon Berrow also discusses a rare Gervais’ Beaked Whale stranding in Clare, offering scientists valuable insights into one of the world's least-understood whale species...

Reporter Terry Flanagan visits East Wall in Dublin to meet listener Carol Corri and her unusual garden guest, Paddy the Grey Heron. While herons typically feed on fish, frogs and other aquatic prey, Paddy has developed a taste for chicken legs and rashers, making him a regular and much-loved visitor to Carol’s garden...

Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Midsummer is a vital time for Ireland’s wildlife, with long daylight hours helping plants and animals grow, reproduce and build energy reserves. It’s a season of abundance worth celebrating – though from now on, the days gradually begin to shorten again...

Donegal Bay is witnessing an exceptional gathering of Basking Sharks, with dozens of the world's second-largest fish feeding, travelling in groups and even breaching near Mullaghmore Head. Mark O’Connor of Donegal Bay Conservation Trust also discusses a visiting Humpback Whale, known as "Humpback 102", now delighting observers in the bay...

Hedgehog numbers are falling across Europe, with the species now listed as Near Threatened after a 30% decline. In Germany, night-time robot lawnmowers are a major culprit. Dr Anne Berger joins us to explain the injuries they cause, the public backlash, and why banning after-dark mowing could help...

Terry Flanagan’s busy week continues as he heads to Blainroe Golf Club in Wicklow. Club captain Garry Kennedy brings him around the course to meet his most unusual playing partner — Jake, a remarkably tame Rook who’s made himself part of the golfing routine...

MGW listener Michael in Terenure finally has success with his garden nestbox after ten quiet years — a pair of Blue Tits moved in, built a nest and are now raising their brood on camera. Tonight, reporter Terry Flanagan visits to see the live feed and meet the newest stars of Michael’s garden...

Niall Hatch is sounding very hoarse tonight — the price of talking non-stop to crowds at BirdWatch Ireland’s buzzing Bloom stand! The effort paid off, with hundreds of new members, and a huge win for Ireland’s biggest conservation charity...

Listener Danny in Wexford shared a recording from his new home after spotting an owl circling overhead at night. The mystery caller turned out to be a Barn Owl seeking a mate — its eerie cries the same sounds that helped inspire Ireland’s famous banshee legend...

Fresh from a BirdLife meetup in Lemnos, Niall Hatch followed some mysterious nighttime squeaks outside his rural hotel — only to discover a baby Long-eared Owl loudly demanding snacks. He filmed the adorable sounds on his phone, and tells us about this exciting encounter...

Listener Danny Martin-Carroll sent us in this recording of a Barn Owl he heard outside his home in Co. Wexford...

Cruising doesn’t have to mean the Bahamas or Antarctica — there’s magic on our own coast. This evening, ornithologist Jim Wilson joins us from the National Geographic Explorer, currently sailing around the Skelligs in search of Puffins, Gannets and other spectacular seabirds...

Éanna Ní Lamhna previews a MGW special recorded at Bloom 2026, airing on Bank Holiday Monday, June 1st, in which she explores the festival’s strong biodiversity focus and reflects on her family’s link to the show. She also chats about travelling the country for National Biodiversity Week, and the launch of the new Invasive Species Bureau...

Mooney Goes Wild reporter Terry Flanagan meets up with wildlife enthusiast Gustavo Zoladz, who recently discovered two badger setts along the River Dodder in Dublin...

The Burren’s vast limestone, wildflowers and ancient tombs shape a landscape where people and deep history meet. Heritage Keepers Coordinator Mary Dillon of Burrenbeo joins Derek, Richard and Terry to discuss the Burren Archaeology Festival, which takes place from June 20th–21st...

During the week, we received a voice note from one of our listeners, Sean Murray. He had observed a family of Robins in his garden, with both Mammy Robin and Daddy Robin feeding the little chicks, and wondered - is it usual for Daddy Robins to feed the young? Dr. Richard Collins and Terry Flanagan give their thoughts on Sean's query...

Ireland’s beloved Lapwing, long rooted in folklore and farming, is now on the Red List of endangered species. In this Nature On One special airing at midday on Bank Holiday Monday, June 1st, Karla Goodman explores its cultural role, the threats it faces, and the conservation work that could secure its future...

Whale Watch Ireland 2026 takes place next Saturday, with the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group running free expert-led whale- and dolphin-watching events at 18 coastal sites from 17:00–19:00. IWDG Sightings Officer Pádraig Whooley outlines the event’s aims, the importance of sightings data and how listeners can get involved...

Listener Nikola Brady, from Co. Kildare, e-mailed mooney@rte.ie after spotting strange Starling behaviour outside her bedroom window and recording it. Curious, reporter Terry Flanagan visited Nikola to learn more about these scuffling Starlings...

A new series of Derek's TV show, Back From The Brink, began last night on RTÉ One, in which he explores urban wildlife restoration across Europe. Episode two, airing next Sunday, brings us to Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral in Cork, where Peregrines Macheda and Solomon thrive thanks to conservation work by Sam Bayley and Alan McCarthy...

Two special performances of The Conference of Birds at the Mill Theatre in Dundrum highlighted the plight of Ireland’s Red-listed birds through theatre, music and art. It was performed by The Elders and Cór na Nóg. Derek, Niall and John MacKenna reflect on the moving show and its BirdWatch Ireland links...

On his way to the RTÉ car park, Derek briefly recoiled after spotting what he assumed was a Brown Rat. Moments later he realised it was actually a Grey Squirrel, and his revulsion disappeared. He asks the panel why his instinctive response to each rodent was so different...

Listener Henrietta Broderick filmed a Honeybee in her Galway garden pacing in tiny circles, releasing a mustard-yellow droplet before continuing. She chats about what she saw, and our panel discuss what the cause of this odd behaviour might be...

Coral reefs, often called the rainforests of the sea, support a third of visible marine life and host vast hidden biodiversity. A new Nature study reveals living reefs contain previously unknown biomolecules with potential for medicine and biotechnology. Professor Olivier Thomas of University of Galway explains the findings...

Reporter Terry Flanagan visits a walled garden in Stamullen, Co. Meath, with Ciarán de Buitléar. Ciarán grows his food in close partnership with wildlife and nature, and has written a book, Nature's Acre, to encourage others to do the same...

Listener Madeline Carey, from Co. Clare, says a wren has taken over the swallow nest in her garage after 35 years of welcoming swallows. Worried that wrens may harm swallow eggs or chicks, she asks what she can do before the swallows return. Our panel share their advice on the bold intruder...

Marine Biologist Ken Whelan, Vice President of the Atlantic Salmon Trust, chats to the panel about how Christmas Day and April 1st (which is co-incidentally his birthday!) are so important in the life cycle of Salmon...

We received an e-mail to mooney@rte.ie from listener Helena Golden in Leitrim, aka the Willow Woman! She joins us on the line to tell us about her passion for weaving using natural materials, her Blue Tit nest box camera, and the cuckoo and woodpecker she has heard recently...

Called the “Ghost of the Sea,” the rare White Skate has reappeared in Kerry after vanishing from much of its range. Sixth-class student Rocco Stallard found a huge Mermaid’s Purse on Camp Beach, evidence that White Skates may be using local bays as a nursery ground, as Ken Whelan and our panel explain its importance...

RTÉ marks International Dawn Chorus Day this Sunday as nature lovers join one of its most atmospheric broadcasts. From midnight to 7am, RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ lyric fm share seven hours of live birdsong, insight and music, capturing the moment Ireland wakes and daylight slowly takes hold...

Cobh natives Jim Wilson and Seán Ronayne return to Cuskinny Marsh, the place that sparked their love of nature. In this Nature on One special, they explore its rich habitats as Seán works to record a year of its wild sounds, reflecting on why this Cork Harbour sanctuary still matters so deeply.

Happy Birthday to Dr Richard Collins — our brilliant fountain of knowledge, charming gentleman, and cherished friend. From Derek, the Mooney Goes Wild team, and all our listeners, we wish him many happy returns… and yes, his birthday cake even features special swans!

Reporter Terry Flanagan meets Dr Fionn Ó Marcaigh in Kildare as he surveys local rookeries for an NPWS nationwide count. Fionn, who is author of Encounters With Corvids, highlights why monitoring rook populations matters...

Niall Hatch chats to Derek, Eanna, Richard and Ken Whelan about his recent visit to the Camargue region of France, and some of the wildlife that can be found there, including the fabled horses, lesser flamingos, Chetty's warblers, and 'edible' frogs...

Wild Dublin, a free week-long exhibition running at Rathmines Library until April 27th, showcases artist Fiona Phelan’s work alongside paintings by her primary school students, and celebrates the city’s diverse wildlife. MGW researcher Michèle Browne visited to meet Fiona and the young artists...

A Greenland Shark stranded in Co Sligo last week - the first such recording on Ireland’s coast - made news headlines around the world. Leaving Cert students Hammad Chaudhry and James Winters O’Donnell reported it to the IWDG, and they join us to share what they found, while Emilie de Loose of Atlantic Whale Deal provides further analysis...

Ireland’s moths boast wonderful names — from Heart & Dart to Mother Shipton — and much of what we know about the 1,500 species comes from the Farmer Moth Monitoring Scheme, a citizen-science project run by the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Project Officer Dr Tim Butter joins us to explain how it all works...

Last Tuesday, Derek and Jim Wilson appeared on the RTÉ Today show on RTÉ One, to chat about birdboxes and nesting season. Whilst in the make-up chair, Derek spoke to make-up artist Kate about a rather aggressive crow that is attacking her window, and waking her each morning! She asks our panel what can be done to get the bird to stop this...

RTÉ Radio 1 has unveiled new signature tunes as part of its refreshed on-air sound. In the Irish Times, Ed Power joked that the new Mooney Goes Wild theme “sounds like it was scored by the people behind the latest Marvel blockbuster” — fitting for a show that brings epic stories from the natural world!

Albatrosses, the world’s largest-winged seabirds, face severe declines, with up to 100,000 killed yearly by longline fisheries. UCC researcher Dr Jamie Darby tracked endangered Antipodean Albatrosses on the remote Antipodes Islands, revealing far higher mortality rates that could push the species toward extinction...

Niall Hatch recently saw six dead Pine Martens while driving from Wicklow to Tipperary, highlighting how strongly the once-rare species has rebounded. He later spotted a live one near Loughlinstown, a rare record inside the M50, which particularly interests Éanna Ní Lamhna given past absence reports...

The dawn chorus, nature’s great global sunrise concert, returns for International Dawn Chorus Day on 3 May. Mooney Goes Wild will broadcast live from midnight to 7am, with Derek Mooney in RTÉ and Jim Wilson and Niall Hatch in Cobh, joined by contributors nationwide and listeners’ own birdsong recordings...

The National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin are a free, year-round haven of global plant collections, including remarkable trees often explored on guided tours. For tonight’s programme, Terry Flanagan visits the Gardens to join guide Eoin O’Reilly, who shows him some of the site’s most spectacular arboreal highlights...

New UCD–QUB research reveals the Old Irish Goat has a continuous Irish lineage dating back 3,000 years. Dr Kevin Daly joins the programme to discuss the study, the history of Ireland’s wild goats and the traits that made goats among the earliest animals domesticated by humans...

Jim Wilson, Cork-based author, broadcaster and wildlife photographer, has captured striking Kingfisher images at Cuskinny Marsh, Co. Cork. On the programme he explains how careful planning, close observation and a dedicated hide made these stunning shots possible...

Early spring is a busy transition for birdwatchers, with summer migrants arriving as winter visitors depart. Brent Geese, iconic in Dublin, are gathering in Ballyfermot’s Le Fanu Park to feed before flying to Arctic Canada. Terry Flanagan meets Eric Dempsey there to explore their habits and migration...

Our food choices can shape how well we sleep. Éanna highlights snacks that disrupt rest, like late-night cheese, and others that make us sleepy. Turkey and lettuce are rich in tryptophan, which helps form serotonin and melatonin, and carbs enhance the effect - hence the classic post-Christmas-sandwich snooze...

Trees are vital for biodiversity, yet many Irish species have declined, including the Wych Elm, devastated by Dutch elm disease. But four mature elms in Rathmines appear to have survived. Arboricultural Consultant Joe McConville is investigating whether their genetics could help restore elms across Ireland...

Last August, we visited Martin in South Dublin, whose garden attracts nightly visits from local badgers and foxes—normally shy animals made bolder by his regular food offerings. In tonight’s programme, reporter Terry Flanagan returns to see how Martin and his nocturnal guests are getting on...

The Woodcock is one of Ireland’s most elusive birds, its nocturnal habits and superb camouflage making it hard to study. Post-doctoral researcher James O’Neill of UCC has published new findings on its population and joins us to discuss how the species is faring and what can help it thrive - once even appearing on Ireland’s old 50p coin...

Grey Squirrels introduced in 1911 have impacted Ireland’s Red Squirrels, but the Reds are now rebounding due to increased Pine Marten numbers. The 2026 All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey has been launched, and Colin Lawton, Ecology Lecturer at the University of Galway, joins the programme to explain the project...

Tonight our experts respond to some of your e-mails and queries about ducks in California, Woodpeckers in Cavan, Buzzards in Waterford and the life span of garden birds, including Robins...

Grey Squirrels, introduced to Ireland in the early 1900s, are now widespread and have impacted the population of native Red Squirrels. They are long believed to descend from a dozen released in Longford in 1911. Our panel discusses whether later deliberate or accidental introductions also added to their numbers and genetics...

Derek Mulrooney, greenkeeper at Druids Glen, Wicklow, reports a gaggle of Greylag Geese returning after food was put out for ducks. He wonders if they’re from the original flock and how they knew food was back. To investigate, Terry Flanagan visits the course as the panellists consider possible explanations...

Nature Nights Live returns to RTÉ Radio 1 from March 9th–13th, at 10–11pm, in partnership with the Tree Council of Ireland for National Tree Week. The programme will share event updates, celebrate native trees and nocturnal wildlife, feature expert guests, and invite listeners to ask questions and share sightings.

Residents in parts of Co. Clare have been suffering a spate of power outages. The culprit: recently arrived Great Spotted Woodpeckers that have been excavating holes in wooden electricity poles, causing some of them to weaken and then snap in bad weather, bringing the power lines down with them. Derek and the panel discuss this unusual problem...

The Brent Goose, which breeds in High Arctic Canada, arrives in Dublin each autumn, gathering in estuaries, parks and green spaces to graze on grass. Ireland is crucial to this far-northern breeder. Ornithologist Kendrew Calhoun explains how public sightings help track populations, migration and breeding success for conservation...

Naturescapes is a European project using nature-based solutions at landscape scale to tackle socio-economic challenges, boost biodiversity and address climate change. Along the River Dodder, innovations like pocket forests are underway. Terry Flanagan met Mairéad O’Donnell of Trinity College Dublin to learn more...

Recent weeks have seen severe, localised flooding across Ireland, especially in counties Wicklow, Wexford and Dublin. Yet, as Éanna notes, Met Éireann says it was only the wettest January since 2018. Our panel discusses climate change, extreme weather and nature-based flood solutions...

Dr. Matthias Sinnesael, Assistant Professor in Geology at Trinity College Dublin, is one of the participants in a study trying better to understand the dinosaur extinction event and whether it was caused purely by the asteroid, or if extreme volcanic activity may also have played a role. He joins Richard, Eanna and Niall in studio to explain...

While on holiday recently in Valencia, Spain, Derek noticed a species of bird that has become one of the staple performers in the Irish Dawn Chorus each year: the Collared Dove. First breeding in Ireland in 1959, they now consistently feature each winter in the Top 20 of BirdWatch Ireland’s Irish Garden Bird Survey...

Ireland’s first Living Seawall at Kennedy Pier, Cobh Harbour, was developed by UCC, Research Ireland and the Port of Cork. Featuring habitat-rich panels with unique patterns of cups, ridges and depressions, it boosts marine life and water quality. Naturalist Jim Wilson speaks with marine ecologist Dr. Louise Firth from UCC BEES about the project...