We visited Eagles Flying near Ballymote, Co. Sligo last weekend (July 2020). We’d heard about it from friends so decided to see it for ourselves.
I phoned ahead to book tickets, we paid. It’s about 20 minutes from Sligo town in the deep countryside near Ballymote.
The site is a sanctuary for rescued birds, mostly birds of prey but some others too. Two shows are run on in the morning and one in the afternoon,and there’s a petting zoo area open after the show.
Here’s what you need to know:
How it works
– There’s a morning (10.30am) and afternoon session (2.30pm) you’ll need to arrive at these times, we phoned to pre-book.
– The gate opens 30 mins before the show
– There’s a tour of the grounds before the show and you can learn lots from the guides
– Birds are in their own display areas with some in caged enclosures
– The same birds perform in the show– People sitting in the front 3 rows to right and left were more likely to get a turn than middle or back
– The show lasts over an hour and when the birds (owls, birds of prey) are flying close overhead small kids need to stay seated. It’s a long time for them.
– If it’s busy not every child will get to catch a bird, you’re told this from the beginning but some kids may still be disappointed
– People sitting in the front 3 rows to right and left were more likely to get a turn than middle or back
– After the show the petting zoo area opens and you can meet all sorts of animals. There are pigs wandering around, foxes in pens, very loud macaws, an area where you can pet bunnies to your heart’s content and more. This was really a highlight and staff could not have been more helpful. It’s a one way system in and out of the petting zoo barn and there’s no rush to get through, staff spend plenty of time chatting and answering questions. We met a large snake (and its handler) on the grass outside the house near the toilet block, the kids were mesmerised stroking and carrying it.
The passion of the staff for what they do shines through, they love telling people about the birds and the other animals and this really adds to the Eagles Flying visit.
The Details
– Entry is €45.90 for 2 adults and 2 kids, and €7.90 for additional kids. We paid, not a collab.
– There are toilets on site, it’s accessible (contact in advance though I think as they let you through the barrier to drive up)
– There’s a small shop at the ticket barrier where you can buy sweets and bird food. There’s absolutely no “sell sell sell” mentality which was really refreshing
The Recommendation
My kids really enjoyed the day out and we’d recommend it particularly for age 6 up, but younger kids who are interested in wildlife may really enjoy it too.
