Irish Pub Becomes Wildlife Hospital

An Irish pub is transforming into a hospital for wild animals due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In ordinary times, the Irish pub Tara Na Rí in County Meath sees exactly what you would expect from an Irish pub: beer on tap and the village community gathering for a good time together.

But since the lockdown in March 2020, no beer has been served in this pub. The owning family, led by James McCarthy, has adapted to welcoming a new kind of guest. At present, these include three swans, a buzzard, and a fox.

With the help of the organisation Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland (WRI), the pub in the northeast has now been declared Ireland's first wildlife clinic. The operators already have their hands full, even before the season begins when many orphaned animals are expected. The goat Liam needs his bottle, the buzzard needs attention. Meanwhile, the swans are making a nest in an old stable.

The McCarthy family has owned the pub for ten years. When their familiar pub life was “taken away” from them due to the pandemic, a “void” set in, says McCarthy. It took some time to fill that void again. The operators of the wildlife hospital are now preparing for the most demanding time of year, as staff member Dan Donoher explains. “We will be taking in many baby birds and fox cubs, who will keep us busy for six months.»