'Ecumenical' falcon preys in both cathedrals
The Peregrine falcon terrorising Derry's pigeons from the spire of St. Eugene's Cathedral was recently evicted from St. Columb's Cathedral, it's been revealed. Nicknamed 'Peri' by some in the city, the bird of prey which has pigeon fanciers shouting from the rooftops, has been doing its bit to bridge the religious divide by feasting in both Catholic and Church of Ireland cathedrals. The falcon's seeming religious diversity - flitting between the city's tallest spi
Daphne Gallick, St. Columb's Cathedral Museum Curator, told the 'Journal' that the falcon had nested in the famous landmark prior to last year's restoration works.
"He was here for a long time - in the mornings we found the remains of pigeons round the front door. He obviously moved out or was evicted by restoration works and we haven't seen him since. Now he's moved to the Roman Catholic cathedral - he doesn't seem to mind about religion as long as he's up high," she quipped.
However, the new arrival at St. Eugene's is not as welcome as the city's traditional flock as his leftovers are getting stuck in the organ.
St. Eugene's administrator, Fr Michael Canny, said: "The birds' remains cause a blockage in the gutters and the water banks up and drops down into the pipes of the organ, flooding it."
Meanwhile, the city's pigeon racing fraternity have called for the protected bird to be removed to another location, claiming that its killing sprees are costing members thousands of pounds each year.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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