James O’Neill
Ornithologist exploring Ireland’s elusive birds and wildlife after dark.
About James O’Neill
James O’Neill is an ornithologist at University College Cork. He completed his PhD at UCC in 2024, which studied the ecology of the elusive Woodcock in Ireland. In his current postdoctoral role, he is researching the ecology of the imperiled yet sturdy Red Grouse in their challenging upland habitats. Working with these species requires a lot of time spent in the field at night, and James has become very familiar with the Irish night sky. In addition to his study species,
James’ favourite Irish bird is the Swift, and he also has a particular liking for finding and recording other groups of Irish wildlife, such as moths, butterflies, bees, ants, wildflowers and bats.
The Woodcock: Ireland’s secret nighttime wader
Sunday 1 November
Mulranny Arts Centre
Meet the elusive woodcock and discover what it does after dark.
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Explore the programme to discover talks, night-time events and experiences inspired by Mayo’s dark skies.