Scariff Harbour Festival: Aug.2nd – Aug. 5th, 2013
Scariff, Co. Clare. A wide variety of events, for adults and children. Book your accommodation at www.sunrisebandb.com

Feakle International Traditional Music Festival: Aug.7th – Aug. 12th, 2013
Feakle, Co. Clare. www.feaklefestival.ie 5 Days of traditional Irish music, song, dance with concerts Céili’s, workshops, lectures, recitals, singing and sessions. Accommodation available at Sunrise B&B tel. +353 (0)61 927343. www.sunrisebandb.com

The annual East Clare Walking Festival will be based in the harbour village of Mountshannon and there is something suitable for walkers of all ages and abilities with a family friendly walk on Sunday.

East Clare is a beautiful, unspoilt and hidden corner of the county, surrounded by magnificent mountains on one side and the majestic Lough Derg on the other. You can enjoy panoramic views and wonderful scenery from all of the walking routes.

Book your accommodation for the weekend at www.sunrisebandb.com only two minutes walk from Mountshannon Village where this years festival will be based. Tel: 061 927343

Come for the walks and stay for the craic!  www.eastclarewalkingfestival.com

Some availability still available at www.sunrisebandb.com.

Book early to avoid disappointment Tel: 061 927343

www.iniscealtra-artsfestival.org

Wildlife experts in both Ireland and Norway had hoped that the eagles would successfully breed making it the first documented case in Ireland in over a century.

The breeding pair, which settled in the area in early 2011, was originally released in Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry, as part of a white-tailed Eagle reintroduction programme. The birds were brought here from the island of Frøya off the west coast of Norway.

Last month, it was confirmed that the 4-year-old male and 3-year-old female eagles had set up home on an island on Lough Derg near Mountshannon.

Golden Eagle Trust project manager Dr Allan Mee has now confirmed: “These are young eagles and this was their first attempt to breed and there was a 50/50 chance that they would. But something happened during the day on Tuesday when suddenly the birds abandoned the nest. They flew to nearby trees and didn’t come back for a couple of hours.”

While there have been disturbing incidents in other parts of the country where white-tailed eagles have been poisoned or shot, Dr Mee confirmed that there was no evidence of any such attempt in this case.

“We checked to see if something was going on on the island but there was no evidence of that. It looks like like they left the nest right on the point of hatching,” Dr Mee added.

He suspects that the chicks may have died on hatching but he also fears that the nest may have been disturbed by the high winds over the weekend.

Dr Mee and his team were due to visit the island late yesterday (Wednesday) to further investigate what might have happened but he expressed confidence that the eagles will remain in the area.

“The birds are not going to abandon the area. They are visible around the island at the moment so it will be interesting to see how long they stay around but they will stay in the area even if they nest further up the shore next time,” Dr Mee added.

The eagles have also proven to be a huge attraction to locals and visitors to the Mountshannon area in recent weeks.

Dinner Time!

Feeding time for the White Tailed Sea Eagles in Mountshannon

The White Tailed Eagles are busy building up their energy before their eggs hatch out in the coming days.  A steady flow of visitors to Mountshannon Harbour everyday to view the WTSE from the viewing point at the Harbour. Video by: Nigle- Beer- Smith

Having a high ceiling, it was as if the room caught the last rays of the sun holding on to them longer, despite the pouring rain outside, again. A view of the lake, something to read, drink tea or doze off a bit. We really enjoyed our stay here! read more