Le gru rare tornano a Offaly Bog per il settimo anno

It’s great to see these birds, which were historically so important in Irish culture, making something of a comeback. Hopefully the population will spread out.

That said, there’s a degree of “greenwashing” in Bord na Móna promoting this story and the habitat rehabilitation narrative, while at the same time pushing ahead with their expansion into onshore wind, continuing to drain bogs to build access roads and pour massive concrete plinths for turbines.

If the government is serious about nature restoration and giving wildlife a real chance, Bord na Móna should be wound up, and its land holdings, (along with large areas of Coillte lands), should be transferred to the National Parks portfolio. The current policy of expecting wildlife to recover in “protected” farmland hedgerows or in “no mow” gardens simply won’t work.