Bird Watching Leinster

The province of Leinster runs from the the border with Northern Ireland in Louth, all the way to the sunny south east in Wexford. So when you consider bird watching in Leinster, that covers 12 counties that give you access to a huge variety of habitats for bird watching. The 5 coastal counties of Louth, Meath, Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford have significant bird watching locations along the coast. In addition, these counties and all of the other counties in Leinster have many other types of bird watching sites to choose from.

Browse through the galleries below to view the variety of birds you will see if you go bird watching at any of the locations. You can also find more information including directions and parking details on the “Bird Watching Locations Ireland ” page.

To view a comprehensive list of birds in Ireland, click here: Birds Ireland

Click on the images below to view the featured bird watching sites in Leinster.

Bird Watching Kildare

As of now there is only one bird watching site featured in Kildare. The River Barrow and the Grand Canal both flow through the town of Monasterevin. There are paths along both waterways which makes them accessible. More birding locations will be added over time! Click on the image below for more information about the area and the birds you might see there.

Bird Watching Louth

There are three locations featured in County Louth. Dundalk has long been a birding hotspot on the east coast of Ireland. In winter, the local bird population increases to over 20,000 birds featuring a mix of geese, ducks and waders among others. It has been designated as a Special Area of Conservation and it is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Other bird watching locations featured in Louth are Annagassan and Salterstown Pier. Both of these are a short drive from Dundalk.

Click on the links below for more information and to see galleries of the birds you can expect to see on your visit.

Bird Watching Meath

There are two sites featured in County Meath, Laytown and Mornington. It could be argued that they are a single destination, but you would have to walk 5 kilometres along the beach from Laytown to reach Mornington. Both locations have estuaries which make them ideal for bird watching. The River Nanny enters the Irish Sea at Laytown and Mornington is at the mouth of the River Boyne. Click  on the images below for more information about each birding destination.

Bird Watching Offaly

So far, there is only one birding site features in County Offaly. Lough Boora is best seen by visiting Lough Boora Discovery Park. The whole area and ecosystem was managed by Bord Na Mona for many decades. Peat was harvested from vast bogs and used for electricity generation. The power station has now been decommissioned and Bord Na Mona are now responsible for conservation and bio diversity in the area. As a result it is now an important site for birds.

Click on the image below for information about the site and the birds you are likely to see.

Bird Watching Wexford

Wexford is an important site for birds in Ireland. Its location at the south east corner of Ireland puts it in the path of migrating birds in Spring and Autumn. In addition, County Wexford is blessed with mixed coastlands, lakes, estuaries, marshes and grasslands that make it an ideal stop-off point for migrating birds.

Click on the images below for more detailed information about local bird watching sites in Wexford. There are galleries showing the birds you can expect to see on your visit.

Bird Watching Wicklow