National Animal Of Ireland: Learn All About Incredible Irish Animals!

Every country has some national symbols that reflect some aspect of its character and value.

Ireland is also one of them. Ireland also has various national symbols, like a national animal, a national bird, and a national fish.

Ireland is an island in the region of North Atlantic Europe. This island is divided into two parts, namely the Republic of Ireland (also called Ireland) and Northern Ireland. Ireland is famous for its marvelous views and food.

Castles in Ireland provide evidence of Ireland's well-preserved history. Do you know that there are almost 30,000 castles in Ireland?

Now you probably want to visit this island, don’t you? Well, let’s see some more information about Ireland and its national symbols. Before going to Ireland, you should learn more about them.

After reading about the national animal of Ireland, also read about endothermic animals, and the fastest animals in the world.

What is the national animal of Northern Ireland?

Every country has a list of national symbols like a national animal, national emblem, national food, national bird, national fish, and national tree. These symbols represent the characteristics of the country. A country chooses these symbols very carefully and makes a great effort to protect them.

Just like every other country, Ireland also has a national animal, though Northern Ireland has no national animal. The national animal of Ireland is very unclear. Unlike in other countries, the national symbols of Ireland are not defined by any official act, instead, they are defined by their usage.

There are many land mammals that have been considered the national animals of Ireland. The list includes Irish elk, red deer, and Irish hare.

Despite so many options, the Irish hare is considered the national animal of Ireland. There has been an ongoing debate in the country regarding the national animal for several years. But the most widely acknowledged national animal of Northern Ireland is the Irish hare.

Why is the Irish hare the national animal of Ireland?

Behind the choice of any national symbol of any country is a very big decision and an elaborated thinking process. Every country chooses its national symbol with great research and thinking. The Irish have chosen the Irish hare as their national animal for many reasons and after much consideration.

The Irish hare, or mountain hare, is one of the oldest species of animals indigenous to the Republic of Ireland. This mammal species is closely related to the mountain hare of Scandinavia.

These animals can be found in a wide variety of habitats, like coastal grasslands, salt marshes, upland moors, and lowland pastures.

Mountain hares are found throughout the world at higher altitudes and latitudes. The population of mountain hares in Ireland varies according to the habitat throughout the year as well as the availability of food in their habitat range.

Current National Animal Of Ireland

As we know, Ireland’s national animal is highly unclear. Currently, the national animal of Ireland is considered to be the Irish hare.

There are other candidates too for being the national animal of this country, but the Irish hare just won the race.

The red deer is also sometimes considered the national animal of Ireland or the Republic of Ireland because it is the only native mammal species that is found in Ireland. Red deer have been inhabiting Ireland for a very long time, probably since the ice age.

Past National Animal Of Ireland

Ireland has a very interesting history regarding its national animal. Unlike other countries, it cannot be said for sure which animal is the national animal of Ireland. This is because there is no official declaration.

The Irish elk was the first choice for the national animal of this country. This animal is still sometimes considered the national animal of Ireland. But this animal has been extinct for some time, so people need another animal to call the national animal of their country, as they can’t consider an extinct animal as their national animal.

Then their next choice was the red deer. Red deer are deeply associated with Ireland. The male red deer is the UK’s largest deer, but it is now endangered and needs protection. The males are bigger in size than the females. The problem with this animal is that people do not know its exact origin.

Then the Irish people began to treat the Irish hare, or the wild mountain hare, as their national animal. Currently, most people agree with the Irish hare as the national animal of Ireland.

National Dog Breed Of Ireland

On the subject of the national dog breed of Ireland, the Irish people are very clear. The Irish wolfhound is the national dog breed of this country.

The Irish wolfhound is the tallest dog breed among all other dog breeds. Irish wolfhounds are believed to have ancient origins. These dogs were framed as coursers and gladiators. These dogs are considered to provide protection against wolves as well as hunt wolves.

Irish wolfhounds are very powerful dogs. These dogs have an average lifespan of seven years. The average height of an Irish wolfhound is higher than that of a Great Dane.

Irish wolfhounds are one of the symbols used by Ireland on its revenue stamps. Irish wolfhounds are believed to inspire poetry, literature, and mythology. The original species of this dog has been considered extinct by many renowned authors.

Ireland's National Bird

The national bird is also a very important national symbol for a country. These symbols represent the country’s nature and its wildlife.

The national bird of the Republic of Ireland is the northern lapwing bird, while the national bird of Northern Ireland is the Eurasian oystercatcher.

Most of the time, these two regions share many facts with each other, like the national animal, but they sometimes differ on some facts, such as the national bird. Ireland's national bird is actually the national bird of the southern part of the island of Ireland.

Conserving The National Animal Of Ireland

For this answer, we consider the Irish hare the national animal of Ireland. Being the national animal, the Irish hare has been given legal protection by many organizations, such as the Irish Wildlife Act, the International Berne Convention, and the European Habitats Directive.

The Irish hares are not under any threat in the current situation, but they do face some problems in their habitat. Some minor threats to mountain hares are habitat loss and hunting.

The needs of humans are converting the mountains into lowlands, which are not suitable environments for the Irish hare. Also, competition among mountain hares, brown hares, and rabbits leads to the population fluctuation of these animals. Predators are also a big threat to the Irish mountain hare. Its main predators include stoats, foxes, and birds of prey.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for national animal of Ireland then why not take a look at Florida animals, or are there snakes in Ireland?