@A H: It would seem the literalists are out in numbers today

@A H: agree

@Gearoid O’Helidhe: I agree with you, a lot of bluster on comments here, a bit of perspective is often missing. So people would shoot another person for killing a bird yet will bemoan stoning in the middle eastern states for adultery. I don’t condone either. I just don’t agree with anyone blowing things out of proportion without any semblance of backing it up. And for any would be follow on comments… Bring it on… The talk cause zero action out of most of the ‘legend heros’ here!

@Gearoid O’Helidhe: people here are all talk… Me, I’m reasonable, but don’t be mistaken I am all bravado me… If it was my bird that was shot, I’d be pretty angry, shoot someone for it, maybe not, but ask the person who ran over my dog… Actually best not, bright lights and strange people frighten him now apparently!

@Dearbhla Russell: you wouldn’t. Wouldn’t even know where to begin… Great in a crisis you… Ever thought of advising the president of the USA, I can see it now… Yeah just nuke north Korea… They shot a bird… Or spoke about it… Or something!

@Brown Boots:
FFS lads cop on – it’s a figure of speech! Nobody is saying that the culprit should be literally shot!

@Avina Laaf: no they have been… Lot of people shouting the odds, full of rubbish.

@Brown Boots ignore them then

@Joseph Bloggs: This has happened far too many times: magnificent birds of prey found dead with gunshot wounds. They can’t all be accidents. And if the kite was near a flock of crows or pigeons, the mere presence of the kite would scare them off, so there would be no need to fire shots. Add to that the sheer unlikelieness of a tiny bullet hitting the bird and its fair to say it was a deliberate act.

@Coner Willis:
There’s breeding pairs in north Co. Dublin. Surprised the article failed to mention that. I’ve had the pleasure to watch them a few times this summer. Very impressive. No mistaking this birds presence even compared to a buzzard.

@Coner Willis: 170 pellets in a .12 shotgun shell. Easily can spray off and hit unsuspecting birds.

Also it was a young 3 month old bird which wouldn’t have scared off crows or pigeons.

Moneyslane is also a rural farming village so many aspects to this point to it being an accident.

I could be wrong and it could have been deliberate , but there is so much scope for it to be an accident that blanket claims of foul play don’t sit well.

@Joseph Bloggs: Of course there is a slight possibility of it being accidental, but for me it’s far too coincidental to have been an accident. Like I said, how many other cases of birds of prey being shot have there been? Far more likely it was some maniacal farmer, who thought the bird was a threat to his sheep or something. And even a young bird would be enough to disturb a flock of crows/pigeons. Kestrals are tiny and yet you often see them being mobbed by smaller birds who see them as a threat. No way is a flock of crows going to stand around feeding, while there is a bird of prey of any type or age in the vicinity.

@Coner Willis: yes Coner, you could be wrong. I prefer the more valid version given previously. You’re jumping to conclusions to have something to be outraged about so you can sleep well… Tomorrow you can tweet about it if you remember.

@Brown Boots: Forgive me, but you don’t seem to be all too clever. You see the “it was an accident” explanation to be more valid? When all the evidence points to it being deliberate? Speaks volumes about you. Obviously you don’t care about the lives of the beautiful creatures that we share this planet with, but try not to take offence when others do. You see the killing of an innocent creature as completely fine and you’re entitled to your opinion, but for your own sake don’t express this opinion as it makes you seem rather unpleasant I’m afraid.

@Coner Willis: I’ll thank you for not interpreting my version of the events, which I’ve read elsewhere prior to now. I’ll also thank you to make make assumptions as to one’s intelligence, given you don’t know me, nor what I’ve done or am capable of. So what seems ‘rather unpleasant’ to you, maybe perfectly acceptable to others. You see, just like opinions and yourself, being an a**hole, we all have one and are entitled to express it. So perhaps you would prefer we were all of one opinion, yours always being correct of course! Me, nah, don’t see it that way little buddy, I prefer to say what I think based on facts and knowledge of such thing, doubt you’d have such knowledge in this field. When I need guidance on the arts I’ll come to you, OK buddy!

@Brown Boots: Oh dear, I seem to have offended you gravely. If you can find people who don’t find your views on the killing of innocent animals to be unpleasant, then you’d be doing well. I don’t doubt that such people exist, however I generally try to avoid them. I, in actual fact am something of an expert on birds, and you very clearly are not. In any case you are entitled to an opinion, like I said, and I am entitled to my opinion, and my opinion is that you are ignorant and unpleasant, based on the comments you have made. I wonder what “facts” you “know” on this matter? You really should work on the anger thing, though. Do you always get this irate when people disagree with you?

@Coner Willis: I read your little comment again… ‘for your own sake don’t express this opinion… seem rather unpleasant I’m afraid’, the only bit which was true is the ‘I’m afraid’ part, I agree, you should be! If you wish to make such remarks to a person face to face, gladly accept little pal, that’s not being aggressive, I’ll just name a place to meet, if you can get there of course! Ugh you may be too busy being condescending elsewhere, meanwhile people like me, are doing real things and getting things done. Just so happened you annoyed me while waiting for others to get their a**e in gear. Then again you’d know all about that since I’d assume (you being full of assumptions) waiting for others to do things for you and complain when it’s unpleasant, inconvenient or incorrect.

@Brown Boots:
^^^ triggered

@Brown Boots: I have no idea what I did to upset you so much. Are you that unaccustomed to reasonable debate that you find it offensive? Evidently the whole “lets meet face to face” stuff is more your style. You sound like a teenage wannabe gangster. Instead if discussing things with people, like adults, you’d rather attack them when they say “such remarks” that you disagree with? Once again, speaks volumes.

@Coner Willis: to answer your question of ‘how many cases of birds of prey being shot have there been’.

it was 3 years ago since the last kite was reported shot. So not that many it seems.

@Joseph Bloggs: Your lack of knowledge becomes all the clearer! Are you really saying that you think 20 reintroduced red kites, form the entire bird of prey population of Ireland? Unfortunately there are many cases a year of eagles, falcons etc, turning up shot and poisened. There were 35 birds shot/poisened in 2015 alone. Mostly by pig ignorant farmers. They don’t even realise that the birds do them a favour by hunting rodents and other birds that do serious damage, by destroying crops!

@Coner Willis: not at all Coner, merely saying I don’t go about with a precious attitude much like your own. You seem very capable of shouting the odds here, I merely said I prefer for people who do to back it up, obviously wouldn’t expect anything less from you you spineless wonder. So I don’t think you’re the brightest as you’d say yourself. In fact you’re probably either spending your day watching antiques roadshow, or else commuting a few hours to a rubbish job which you’ll be on here all day… But that’s just you… Smart person you are and the rest of us are idiots. Twerp.

@Brown Boots: Why are you still here? You have already shown yourself to be a rambling, raving lunatic who has failed to string together so much as a semblance of an argument. Your original reply to my comment made no sense, so you decide to personally attack me, and then threaten me with physical violence. You go on about “backing it up” when you’re the one pretending to be a hard man, behind the protection of a screen and a fake name. The only thing that remains a mystery, is wether you’ve spent the night drunk in an alley, or wether you behave like this normally. I sincerely hope its the latter. Have a nice life.

@Coner Willis: there was no threat of physical violence. You chose to insult me behind the screen and keyboard, I was merely pointing out that you’re probably no where near as brave to say it to my face or anyone else for that matter. I will say what I want when I want and not be dictated to for having a differing opinion as yourself. My original point was I agreed with a more logical explanation rather than your jumped up conspiracy. Enjoy Jeremy Kyle

@Joseph Bloggs: Most are not found for obvious reasons