Plague of pigeons makes mighty mess

December 1992

‘ There is a plague of pigeons in Enniscorthy,’ says Joe Hendrick. ‘ They are a mess, destroying roofs and footpaths.’

And Joe should know, since he has just removed twenty-five stone of ‘ evidence’ from the roofs and gutters of St Mary’s Church. This evil-smelling harvest of droppings may be good for the rose garden, but it is disastrous for the church itself.

The problem caused by the feathered creatures is spattered right across the centre of town – from Castle Street right up to Weafer Street. The past summer seems to have brought a most successful breeding season as there are now hundreds, nay thousands, of the pigeons.

These are not to be confused with the pleasant, softly cooing, tree nesting wood variety of the countryside. Nor are they the pampered pigeons of the racing loft, though they may be distantly related.

These specimens are unloved scavengers of low standing, squatting unbidden wherever they can gain a claw-hold in the rooftops. With careless disregard for hygiene and human sensitivity, they have repeatedly blocked up shores and stained walls.

The chief centre of this unloved population appears to be St Mary’s, the fine Church of Ireland church which is a proud part of the Enniscorthy skyline. As such, it is a natural target of the pigeons who congregate there each day at sundown in growing numbers.

It has reached the stage that three times a year, Joe Hendrick has to be called in to clean up the mess. His staple business as a roofer has slumped somewhat in the current recession, but this sideline has at least delivered some alternative work.

He has discovered no practical way of discouraging the birds from settling on the roof and roosting in its shelter. He has found that moss repellent has some effect, but only on a temporary basis.

So, it looks as though he will be back with his ladders at St. Mary’s in another few months. There may be a slump, but there is no sign of this work dropping off.