Shrewstruck
From “The Naming of the Shrew: A Curious History of Latin Names” by John Wright It may sound extraordinary, but until recently the shrew had a most fearsome reputation.…
Category: nature writing
Nan Shepherd on going barehanded and barefooted
From “The Living Mountain”: The hands have an infinity of pleasure in them. When I was a girl, a charming old gentlewoman said something to me that I have…
All September’s #ExtinctinIreland posts in one handy page
As demanded by absolutely no-one, here are all the posts I have done this month on species extinct in Ireland since the coming of humanity…. Extinct in Ireland: September 1st,…
Extinct in Ireland, September 30th, the crane
The final species I have selected for this month of Irish extinctions is the crane. The crane only went extinct in late medieval times, and features much in Irish poetry…
Extinct in Ireland, September 24th- Rannoch rush (Scheuchzeria pallustris) and the life of John Moore
From Wikipedia: Scheuchzeria palustris (Rannoch-rush,[2] or pod grass), is a flowering plant in the family Scheuchzeriaceae, in which there is only one species and Scheuchzeria is the only genus. In…
Extinct in Ireland, September 21st – the red squirrel
OK, this entry in my September series of species rendered extinct in Ireland since human settlement here may cause many readers to do a double-take. The red squirrel? Extinct? But…
Extinct in Ireland, September 18th – the Osprey
From Pádraic Fogarty’s Whittled Away: Osprey Breeding in inland lakes including Lough Key in Roscommon in 1779 but no records thereafter, save for the odd vagrant. Given its relatively abundant…
Extinct in Ireland, September 17th, Pheasant’s Eye (Adonis annua)
Another pretty flower with a pretty name – pretty names, indeed, as Adonis annua has a pleasingly alliterative ring. And extinct in Ireland. I came across this elegy for Adonis…
Séamus Sweeney 