Flights of fancy with Falconry at Irish Walled Towns Day

The fact that the demonstration, which is taking place between 1pm and 5pm at Magazine Gate, is happening right in the heart of the city means that John has to be selective about which of his wide variety of birds of prey he will be flying. But rest assured there will still be plenty of feathered friends on show that will wow young and old alike.

“We are a little bit limited because of the lack of grass in the area but we are still able to bring a good selection of birds for the Walled Towns Day Event. We will have a Barn Owl, Bengali Eagle Owl, Hooded Vulture, Harris Hawk, Redtail Hawk, and Burrowing Owl on display. We were here last year and it went very well, the only thing was it was a terrible day, weather wise hopefully we’ll get a better day this year,” he said.

The falconry display will is sure to be spectacular as John puts the birds through their aerial paces but there will also be a unique opportunity for children and adults to get right up close with the birds.

“The birds will be on static display and we will have extra gloves for members of the public who want to hold or pet any of the birds. The more kids or adults who want to get a chance to interact with the birds the happier we are and we’ll try to accommodate everyone. There’s a big variation in the size of the birds from the Burrowing Owl which has a wingspan of five or six images to the Bengali Eagle Owl which is has a four-foot wingspan.

“We will also be doing flying displays with some of the birds which will give those watching a real spectacle. Flying the birds in a closed up area does present some different challenges, when you are in a field or open area you can see them all the time. When you are doing a demonstration in a town like Belfast or Derry, once the birds flip over the buildings you lose track of them. You’re always a wee bit nervous until they come back into sight,” explained John.

John’s enthusiasm for his work is obvious and he explains that his interest in birds of prey goes back some 40 years to his childhood.

“I’m 50 this year and from I was a young boy I was interested in working with birds. I got my first bird when I was nine, I found an injured female Sparrow hawk and nursed it back to health and got it flying again. I can still remember how upset I was when my father released it back into the wild.”

John’s interest in birds of prey continued into adult life. Initially it was as a hobby while he plied his trade as a mechanic but following one particularly rough week at the garage he decided to go full-time with the falconry and he hasn’t looked back since.

“It’s a great job. It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to make a living doing something you enjoy. I really don’t consider what I do as being work, it’s a privilege,” he said.

To see just why John enjoys his work so much make sure and come along to Magazine Gate between 1 and 5pm this Sunday for a spectacular display of flying and the chance to hold and pet the birds.

The Falconry display is just one of a fantastic array of events taking place on and around The Historic City Walls on Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd August. The activities are part of the Irish Walled Towns Weekend celebrations for 2010, which is supported by the Heritage Council of Ireland and the Development Department of Derry City Council. For further information visit www.derrycity.gov.uk/economicdevelopment and click on walled towns day.