Working Together for Wildlife: Celebrating the Dunboyne Swift Project

We were delighted to welcome Deirdre O’Carroll to our school recently, where she delivered a fascinating and engaging workshop with our 5th Class students all about Swifts. The children thoroughly enjoyed learning about these incredible birds—their remarkable migration journeys, unique behaviours, and the challenges they face.

5th Class have also been taking part in the DreamSpace Showcase Programme and as part of this learning experience, our students will now be putting their creativity and innovation into action by using our 3D printer to design and create their very own Swift whistles. This exciting project not only integrates science and technology, but also helps raise awareness of biodiversity and conservation.

This initiative ties in with the fantastic work being carried out by the Dunboyne Tidy Towns Biodiversity Group, who have recently installed Swift nesting boxes around the village, including at Kelly’s Hardware, the Garda Station, and St Mary’s Terrace. These efforts aim to support the local Swift population, which returns to Dunboyne each summer after an incredible journey from Western Africa.

Swifts are an extraordinary species, spending most of their lives in flight and returning to the same nesting sites year after year. However, their numbers have declined significantly in recent years, making conservation efforts like these more important than ever.

We encourage everyone to keep an eye (and ear!) out for Swifts in the skies around Dunboyne between May and August—you may be lucky enough to witness their spectacular aerial displays.

A sincere thank you to Deirdre for sharing her expertise and inspiring our students, and to all those involved in the Dunboyne Swifts project, together, we can help make Dunboyne a safer and more welcoming place for these amazing birds.