Unexpected visitor delivered tourism boom to Mayo village in 2024
Some of the birdwatchers at the riverside in Belcarra.
An unexpected visitor put a Mayo village on the map as a bird-watchers hotspot in 2024.
Last May, Belcarra woman Lorraine Ryan-Jennings spotted an unusual creature high above the local river that was soon identified as a yellow-crowned night heron – a bird almost exclusively found in North America.
The word spread online and soon the ornithology community around Ireland, the UK and Europe were hastily booking plane and ferry tickets over to get a glimpse of this remarkable visitor to the village on the outskirts of Castlebar.
While the heron, named Lorrie in honour of its local discoverer, has seemingly left the area, it had a big impact on the small village which it called home for several months.
Chairperson of the Belcarra Community Council Fionnan Nestor told the more about this impact.
“It brought in a ton of visitors which was fantastic for local businesses. The place was buzzing for months with new faces and that really helps the local economy,” he said.
“On top of that, the heron sparked a renewed interest in our own native birdlife. We’ve run a few guided dawn walks over the last six months which have had 20-30 people on them and considering they depart at 6am that’s really impressive.”
The unusual incident brought newfound attention to the village and visitors flocked from all over.
“We got some amazing feedback from people who visited Belcarra for the first time, many of them mentioned how friendly everyone is here,” said Fionnan. “They also couldn't stop talking about how beautiful our village is. A lot of visitors called it a hidden gem, saying they were so glad they discovered it. Some even joked that the heron was lucky to end up in such a lovely place!”
There are some plans in place to commemorate the heron’s stay in Belcarra. Already a commemorative poster featuring the bird sold out rapidly and the bird also took pride of place in the village’s 2025 calendar, which has also flown off the shelves.
“Looking ahead, we're considering creating a commemorative piece in the village in 2025, like a sculpture or a mural, to celebrate the heron's visit. It's still in the planning stages, but we're really excited about it,” said Fionnan.
He said they would love to see the bird make a return to the village someday, but for now, everyone in Belcarra is wishing their former feathered neighbour well.
“We certainly hope the heron might come back to visit us again but more importantly, we just hope it has found a safe and quiet place to live out its life,” said Fionnan.
“There's a feeling among the locals that the bird isn't too far away and might be residing on one of the nearby lakes that aren't easily accessed on foot. Maybe that's for the best, giving it the peace and tranquillity it needs.”
