Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) or just Heron. Seen along the coast and lower reaches of rivers. Although the heron is often colloquially referred to as "crane" here in Ireland, it is not a crane.

A Syrian in Ireland: At night, I see the grey faces, hear the cries. I picture my child trapped under the ruins of our new warm house The word earthquake shakes my heart.

It is impossible to understand Ireland without bearing in mind that two million people left the island between 1921 and 2001 (1.5 million from what is now the Republic; half a million from ...