School: Convent of Mercy, Moville (roll number 9278)

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1. Wild Birds

   

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   Round Moville a century or so ago, partridges were not uncommon. Mr Dysart, when Mayor of Derry in 1822, used to shoot them in the fields about Carnagarve. Foxes were common. One friend remembers seeing a man bring in two about seventy-five years ago. They are extinct in Inishowen, happily for us to-day, but are still to be found in West Donegal.

   Passing on to quite rare creatures, I can tell those interested in natural history that there was a beautiful white Jer-Falcon (Iceland) at Malin Hall, killed forty years ago. At Culdaff House they have a fine pine marten, caught recently. It is like a big brown ferret. Our only contribution to rarities is a white grouse shot at Glenagivney. My son,however, was so anxious to secure it that he shattered the body.

   All that remained for the stuffer was the head and wings and tail. In Moville itself we have been accustomed to a succession of tame otters too tame, indeed. They entered houses and became a nuisance. Strange to say the dogs did not molest them. Our best sportman has a three-pound brown trout stuffed in his shop, caught near Glenely.
   Finally the late Mr Robert Nolan shot a hoopoe at Ballybrack a few years ago, and it is

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. agents (~1)
      1. animal-lore (~1,185)
         1. bird-lore (~2,478)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Winsome Orr

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Moville, Co. Donegal

   Informant

   Bishop Montgomery

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Bishop

   Address

   Moville, Co. Donegal