The Search for Ireland’s First Wildlife Hospital

Over 4 months in 2021, I followed the development of Ireland’s first dedicated wildlife hospital as they struggled to find funding for a permanent premises. Operating out of the stables behind the historic, and now disused, Tara na Rí pub in County Meath, the dedicated staff of four people and a handful of volunteers at Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland (WRI) attended to over 450 patients at a single time during its peak. During my time with the WRI, they relied solely on public donations to operate, and their one-year lease of the Tara na Rí stables was quickly running out.