A rare eagle shot dead in a “deplorable act” in the Republic had visited counties in the north during its short time in Ireland.
The white-tailed eagle was found dead this week close to Lough Owel, near Mullingar in Co Westmeath.
It had been released into the Shannon Estuary in 2022 as part of the White Tailed Eagle Reintroduction Programme led by the Republic’s National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), in partnership with Norway.
The killing of the majestic bird of prey has sparked fury, with the Republic’s Minister of State for Nature and Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, saying he was “devastated” at the “unacceptable crime”.
An investigation into the killing has been launched by Gardaí in conjunction with the NPWS.
Mr Noonan, who attended the eagle’s introduction release in 2022, described how the female eagle had travelled as far as counties Fermanagh and Armagh after having “peacefully settled into the Irish landscape”.
Before being shot, the eagle had moved between loughs in Westmeath.
“White Tailed Eagles are magnificent creatures; their presence are such good indicators of the health of our ecosystems and countryside and now part of our wider efforts to restore nature,” the minister said.
“It is an absolute deplorable act to kill such a rare and endangered species.”
He added: “White-tailed eagles are treasured by local communities and visitors to Ireland alike and any loss resonates throughout.
“I appeal to the public to come forward with any information that they may have in relation to this incident. I am assured that NPWS are undertaking a thorough investigation led by the Wildlife Crime Directorate with the support of An Garda Siochána and will, where possible, bring the perpetrators of this unacceptable crime to justice.”
The first phase of the white-tail eagle reintroduction programme took place in Ireland between 2007 to 2011, when 100 eagle chicks were brought from Norway and released in Killarney National Park in Co Kerry.
Last September it emerged that two eagles released in Co Donegal in 2020 that flew to Co Fermanagh became the first breeding pair in Northern Ireland in more than 150 years.
White-tailed eagles can grow to have a wingspan of up to 2.4m, and can live to over 20 years old.
In July 2023, two of the raptors were found dead after having been poisoned in Co Antrim.
