Mooney Goes Wild

Tonight's programme is a repeat of our Christmas Day special documentary 'Pope Leo's Elephant'. In 1514, King Manuel I of Portugal sent an extraordinary diplomatic gift to Pope Leo X: an Asian Elephant named Hanno. Derek Mooney and Niall Hatch dig deeper into Hanno’s remarkable story in the Eternal City, Rome. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier today, we broadcast a special live programme on Radio One and on the RTÉ News Channel (09.00 - 11.00) and our focus was two of Ireland's most fascinating groups of birds: waders and garden birds. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, Jesmond Harding from Butterfly Conservation Ireland was in-studio and brought a surprise guest...the (extremely large) pupal stage of the Death’s-head Hawk-moth. This extremely striking creature is not a common insect in Ireland. Terry Flanagan went to see this incredible creature before it was released into the wild. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All of us here in the Mooney Goes Wild team would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to our esteemed colleague and friend Éanna Ní Lamhna, who last month was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Science by the University of Galway. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A recently published book that really caught our eyes is On Land and Water by acclaimed wildlife photographer Sheena Jolley. This superb book differs from most of the other nature photography books on the market, in that it incorporates the poetry of the late D.J. O’Sullivan alongside Sheena’s photographs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In her wonderful new book The Keeper of the Bees: Bees and Beekeeping in Irish Folklore, beekeeper’s daughter and a student of folklore Eimear Chaomhánach weaves folktales about bees with her memories of growing up in a beekeeping household, collecting swarms with her father and learning how to harvest honey. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The mysterious Nightjar is one of Ireland’s most elusive birds. With only sporadic records of breeding over recent decades, the general consensus was that we had effectively lost Nightjars from Ireland. However, a new survey coordinated by BirdWatch Ireland has confirmed that this species still survives in the southeast of the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next, we have the recommendation of Niall Hatch, which, as you might expect, is a book about birds. It’s not a run-of-the-mill bird book, however, rather a tongue-in-cheek look by Matt Kracht at the ways in which our feathered friends can frustrate and irritate even the most dedicated of birdwatchers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last, but by no means least, we bring you Derek's Christmas pick. A great many listeners will have grown up inspired about wildlife by legendary artist, author and broadcaster Don Conroy. His latest book is a timely reminder of the simple wonders of Ireland’s natural environment, with exquisite illustrations and thoughtful words. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Staying with the avian theme, the Christmas recommendation of Richard Collins is a book about one of the most impressive and captivating aspects of ornithology. Written by Tim Birkhead, it is the perfect one-stop-shop for everything you have ever wanted to know about avian reproduction. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Christmas, the team here at Mooney Goes Wild likes to bring you some of our recommendations for wildlife-themed gifts for your nearest and dearest. This year, we have chosen to focus on natural history books, with Derek and panel each focusing on their own preferred title and interviewing the authors. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next we have the selection of Eric Dempsey, who, in addition to his passion for birds is also a great fan of moths. It’s very fitting, therefore, that his choice of book this Christmas is Meetings with Moths: Discovering their Mystery and Extraordinary Lives by Katty Baird. In it, Katty roams Scotland seeking out, documenting and observing moths. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information...

Lichens expert Paul Whelan has been working on his latest book for the past four years and it is Terry Flanagan's Christmas recommendation this year. For tonight’s programme, Terry travelled to Midleton, Co. Cork to meet Paul, to observe some of the local varieties of lichen and, of course, to chat about his book. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First up this evening is Éanna Ní Lamhna, who has chosen a wonderful book by Irish botanist and environmentalist Peter Wyse Jackson. It is the first ever comprehensive account of the historical and present-day uses of wild plant species in Ireland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Niall was recently in Rome and met up with our former RTÉ colleague Colm Flynn, who is now Vatican Correspondent for EWTN. While strolling around Vatican City, their walk was interrupted by the noisy calls of parakeets. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.