Podcasts · Science

Mooney Goes Wild

RTÉ Radio 1

100 episodes

Derek Mooney and guests explore the natural world in all its forms. Listen live every Monday at 10pm on RTÉ Radio 1.

Episodes page 1 of 2

  1. Protecting Ireland's Hedgehogs

    · 10 min

    Zoologist Elaine O'Riordan discusses hedgehog conservation, the Irish Hedgehog Survey and how hedgerows help protect this much-loved mammal... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  2. More Fright Than Delight?

    · 19 min

    Vet Andrew Byrne explains how to protect pets from Hallowe'en fireworks and keep hedgehogs and other wildlife safe around bonfires... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  3. Hallowe'en Cobwebs: A Wildlife Hazard

    · 8:29

    Andrea Scott explains her concerns about how artificial Hallowe'en cobwebs can endanger birds, bats and insects, and wonders about wildlife-friendly alternatives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  4. I Have A Dream: Canal Discovery

    · 16 min

    Terry Flanagan meets listener Paul Corcoran, whose Royal Canal wildlife encounter led to a mystery involving a crab spider, a bee, some tiny flies and a possible first Irish record... See omnystudio.com/listener for…

  5. Mystery Underground Insects

    · 3:18

    Listener Denis Riordan shares footage of underground-nesting insects as Éanna Ní Lamhna and Richard Collins debate their identity... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  6. Wild Dublin: Nature In The City

    · 7:12

    Terry Flanagan meets photographer Gustavo Zoladz to discover Dublin’s hidden wildlife, from fox cubs and badgers to kingfishers... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  7. Mayo Dark Sky Festival Turns 10

    · 11 min

    Festival Director Fiona Hopkins previews the 10th Mayo Dark Sky Festival, with stargazing, astronomy, wildlife and special guests... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  8. Love, Rivalry And Roaring Stags

    · 24 min

    Damien Hannigan of the Irish Deer Commission explains the deer rut, stag rivalries and how motorists can stay safe... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  9. Rare Fan Mussel Found Off Kerry

    · 4:44

    Éanna Ní Lamhna explains the discovery of a living Fan Mussel near Valentia Island and why it matters for marine conservation... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  10. Mooney Goes Wild - Monday October 12th 2026

    · 54 min

    Derek Mooney and guests explore the natural world in all its forms. Tonight: red squirrels make a comeback thanks to pine martens; a Cork pub’s unexpected squirrel visitor; how animals heal themselves with Prof. Jaap…

  11. Reds Rise Again: The Great Squirrel Comeback

    · 12 min

    Dr Colin Lawton reveals the latest 2026 survey results showing red squirrels recovering and pine martens spreading across Ireland... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  12. Nuts In The Snug: Red Squirrel In A Pub!

    · 8:27

    Rory Cobbe investigates how a red squirrel turned a Cork pub into an assault course and became an internet sensation! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  13. Nature On One: The Painted Lady

    · 3:36

    As he makes his new documentary, Terry Flanagan joins Derek to reveal the remarkable migration of the Painted Lady butterfly and Ireland’s bumper numbers in 2025... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  14. Feeling Under The Weather? Ask An Insect!

    · 30 min

    Prof Jaap de Roode joins Derek and the panel to explore how insects and other animals use nature to treat illness. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  15. Can You Be-Leaf It? TCD Herbarium Reopens After Refurb

    · 17 min

    Terry Flanagan & Éanna Ní Lamhna visit TCD’s Herbarium to meet curator Dr Peter Moonlight after its major refurbishment... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  16. Where Did Bats First Take Flight?

    · 32 min

    Prof Emma Teeling reveals how new UCD research has traced the origins of bats to Europe 60–65 million years ago... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  17. Saving A Spider In The Shower

    · 4:24

    Niall Hatch explains how spiders survive getting wet, and why House Spiders so often find themselves trapped in our baths... See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  18. Gull-ible Youngsters!

    · 6:17

    Derek kicks off tonight’s programme with a challenge for Niall: can he identify a mystery bird sound from a video that Derek shot with his phone. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  19. Barn Owl Nestboxes At Work

    · 18 min

    Terry Flanagan meets June Woodward in Co Clare to see her successful Barn Owl nestbox and its remarkable occupants. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  20. Lapwings Thriving Once More On The Mullet Peninsula

    · 16 min

    Dave Suddaby explains how BirdWatch Ireland has helped Lapwings recover at Annagh Marsh on the Mullet Peninsula. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  21. A Hard One To Swallow!

    · 14 min

    Catherine Ó Flathartaigh shares her remarkable footage of a rare white Swallow with Niall, who explains leucism and albinism. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  22. Saving Africa’s Penguins: SANCCOB

    · 16 min

    Thom Breathnach tells us about SANCCOB in Cape Town, and their efforts to save the Critically Endangered African Penguin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  23. Tiger Cubs In Fota Wildlife Park, Cork

    · 14 min

    Rory Cobbe meets Róisín FitzGerald, John Leahy & Aileen Tennant at Fota to learn more about their new Sumatran Tiger cubs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  24. Nairobi Flyways & World’s Birds

    · 4:35

    Niall Hatch reports on BirdLife’s State of the World’s Birds and the Nairobi Flyways Declaration. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  25. Stars In Their Eyes At Dunsink

    · 13 min

    Terry Flanagan learns night photography from Anthony Lynch at Dunsink Observatory. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  26. Wildlife On Rising Time: Robins & Insects

    · 3:21

    Niall Hatch answers listeners’ questions about elusive summer Robins and why insects survive crashing into windows. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  27. 2026: A Good Year For Irish Butterflies

    · 12 min

    Terry Flanagan visits Declan Murphy in Newcastle, Co Wicklow, to discover why 2026 has been a good year for Irish butterflies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  28. Do Farmed Salmon Affect Wild Fish?

    · 23 min

    Prof Philip McGinnity discusses the impact of farmed Atlantic Salmon interbreeding with wild Irish salmon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  29. Fishy Behaviour In Arctic Norway

    · 18 min

    Ken Whelan explores Arctic Char, Grayling, invasive Pink Salmon and King Crab in northern Norway and Finland. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  30. Mooney Goes Wild - Monday September 7th 2026

    · 52 min

    Derek Mooney and guests explore the natural world in all its forms. For three decades, Mooney Goes Wild reporter Terry Flanagan has been roaming the highways and byways of Ireland in search of answers to your wildlife…

  31. The Ghost Of The Mountains: Unraveling The Secrets Of The Snow Leopard

    · 32 min

    The secretive, almost supernatural, reputation of the Snow Leopard, which lives high in the mountain ranges of Central and Southern Asia, has led to the species being dubbed The Ghost of the Mountains - which just so…

  32. Mooney Goes Wild - Monday August 31st 2026

    · 53 min

    Derek Mooney and guests explore the natural world in all its forms. On tonight's show: 🪶Why Woodpigeons are still nest‑building in late August 🐦A listener’s mystery pigeon with extravagant feathered feet ❄️We learn…

  33. Wild Ireland

    · 6:37

    Next week’s programme, which will be broadcast on Monday September 7th, will be a special compilation of some of the very best reports by our intrepid roving reporter, Terry Flanagan. To whet your appetite, we close…

  34. Pigeons Galore!

    · 15 min

    From Dastardly & Muttley's "Stop The Pigeon" to "Pigeon Street", there's one bird that's the focus of our first item on tonight's show! Derek recently spotted a Woodpigeon carrying a stick in its beak, something that…

  35. An Irish Atlantic Rainforest

    · 36 min

    Did you know that rainforests are not confined to the tropical regions of the world and can even be found in Ireland? To find out more, you will definitely want to tune into the forthcoming RTÉ television programme An…

  36. Roger Casement: An Exploration Of His Deep Love Of Nature

    · 4:12

    Roger Casement (1864–1916) is best remembered as one of Ireland's most significant historical figures, but before his execution for his role in the 1916 Easter Rising, he earned an international reputation as a…

  37. Caterpillars Attacking Horse Chestnut Trees

    · 12 min

    Regular Mooney Goes Wild listener Nikola Brady got in touch with us with a query. She regularly walks her dog along a country route close to her house in Kilcock, Co. Kildare and recently noticed a problem with the…

  38. Headstarting Chicks Helps Ireland's Curlew Numbers

    · 23 min

    Ireland's curlew population has plummeted, but an ambitious conservation project is offering new hope. Twenty 'headstarted' chicks, hatched from eggs flown in from Yorkshire, were reared at Dublin Zoo before being…

  39. The Sounds Of Clara Bog

    · 10 min

    This week's curlew-themed programme continues at Clara Bog, Co. Offaly, where visitors can now enjoy a new audio soundwalk. Created by Music Generation Offaly, composer Fiona Linnane and local TY students, it blends…

  40. Nature On One: Casement

    · 4:21

    Next Bank Holiday Monday (3 Aug) at midday, Eric Dempsey presents Nature On One: Casement, exploring Roger Casement's often overlooked passion for the natural world. The programme visits the National Museum of…

  41. Chasing The Curlew's Call

    · 7:19

    The Curlew is the star of a new bilingual graphic novel helping young people understand climate change and biodiversity loss. Chasing The Curlew's Call, created by UCC and Met Éireann, uses storytelling to inspire…

  42. Bill Oddie, RIP

    · 2:38

    Tonight, we remember Bill Oddie by ending with The Funky Gibbon. From The Goodies to Springwatch, he inspired generations with his humour, love of birds and passion for conservation. Fittingly, the song was later…

  43. Adult Woodpecker Feeding Young

    · 7:12

    Mooney Goes Wild listener George captured remarkable footage of an adult great spotted woodpecker feeding its youngster in his Monaghan garden. The species has spread rapidly across Ireland in recent years. George…

  44. Wildlife & The Wallace Line

    · 28 min

    The Wallace Line is an invisible boundary in Indonesia marking a remarkable divide in wildlife. West of it, animals are typically Asian; east, they’re Australasian. Richard and Terry explore its story with Derek, while…

  45. Elvis The European Robin

    · 13 min

    MGW listener Sean Geraty joins the programme with questions about "Elvis", the bald robin that's been visiting his garden. Why has Elvis lost his head feathers, and why did a parent bird single out one juvenile for…

  46. Nursing Homes Week - Connected With Nature

    · 12 min

    Terry Flanagan visits Craddock House Nursing Home in Naas ahead of Nursing Homes Week 2026 (17–23 August). With this year's theme, "Connected With Nature", he meets residents and staff preparing a range of…

  47. Invasive Species Week

    · 19 min

    Invasive Species Week highlighted the growing threat non-native plants pose to Ireland's biodiversity. Garden favourites like Cherry Laurel, Rhododendron and Spanish Bluebells can spread into the wild, displacing…

  48. Blooming Orchids

    · 15 min

    Did you know Ireland is home to 30 species of wild orchids? Terry Flanagan visited St. Theresa's in Mount Merrion, where Larry Gordon and Kate McLoughlin have spent 25 years caring for a meadow now blooming with four…

  49. Nature Activities In July

    · 2:08

    Derek, Terry and Eanna chat about nature and wildlife activities that can be enjoyed around Ireland in this lovely sunny weather, including visiting Ireland's Eye, and observing the gannet population there... See…

  50. Scene In Braemar

    · 2:08

    Last week we featured Sir Edwin Landseer's Scene in Braemar ahead of its Sotheby's auction. The dramatic Highland stag painting has now set a new auction record for the artist, selling for £5.9 million – well above its…

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