STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Kilkenny farmer Nicky Murphy has gone to great lengths to protect the barn owls on his land while running a busy farm.
His passion for the creatures is evident in this video courtesy of Biodiversity Ireland BirdWatch Ireland. There are two barn owl chicks this year, who are being fed by their busy owl parents.
"It's fantastic. It's hard to describe what you are looking at - it is special to see," says Nicky.
"One night they were out about half 8, 9pm and it was like they were at a disco bopping around."
He gave up using rat poison to encourage the owls, and has noticed fewer rats: "It's nature coming back to itself," he says.
"It's a gain for me to have them on the farm."
The video is part of the County Kilkenny Barn Owl Survey undertaken by BirdWatch Ireland for Kilkenny County Council, with co-finding from the National Biodiversity Action Plan Grant 2021 of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
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