Outdoor Living

NATURE John Shelley is appalled at rubbish – plastic, glass and more – that carpets the floor of Creagh Wood near Ballinrobe

NATURE John Shelley on the bats found in the west of Ireland, and around Moore Hall at Lough Carra in particular

NATURE John Shelly on the joys and and risks of fishing for wild sea bass on the west coast

John Shelley discovers that the Mulranny shoreline teems with winged winter visitors seeking food and warm waters

NATURE Signs of the season to come are all around us, if you know where to look, writes John Shelley

Relying solely on cleaning up our waterways is too long term a strategy – Ireland's indigenous Atlantic salmon population could be wiped out in the interim

NATURE John Shelley happens upon Ronnie, a beautiful but rather disdainful young seal, while walking at Roonagh

NATURE John Shelley happens upon a recently killed pheasant, places it where scavengers might find it, and waits…

NATURE While trying to track a deer buck during the rut, John Shelley realises his deer-stalking skills are a little rusty

We can learn from our neighbours in Belgium and Holland, but we can too also appreciate our unique farming diversity