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Message: <blockquote data-quote="breffni" data-source="post: 1480559" data-attributes="member: 11008">There are two bone finds separated in time and space. One was in a cave in association with bones several other woodland birds and was not associated with human activity (Mitchell et al). D'Arcy cites various folklorique evidence, for which i would have to take his word. GSW's arrival in ireland would fit with other evidence from the post-glacial colonisation of Europe (waxing and waning with climate and available habitat). And now we have proven breeding in two locations in ireland, proving that it is possible if there had ever been any doubt. I think the paucity of wood invertebrate species in ireland would have been offset by their abundance during the medieval warm period , and if they did establish here, which i think they did, it would have been during this period. Though granted Owen, I should have prefixed my comment with "in my opinion", though i would have taken that as read in any posting on this forum.Science progresses through the iterative formation, testing and falsification of hypotheses. In this case though i do not think it will ever be possible to definitively answer the question short of finding more extensive archaeological evidence. There are alas very few people looking for animal bones in Ireland.I don't remember the bone evidence being discussed on ibn, though i do remember an amusing transaction from the late great Willie in regard to the colonisation of Ireland by protestants, something about the small remnant northern population suffering from poor productivity....all the bestbreffni</blockquote>

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