€10,000 fine is ridiculous. Fucking scumbags should be made do some community service involving nature and clean up as well as a larger fine.

The woman who works for an estate agent directed the man to clean the house A man and woman responsible for blasting 57 House Martin nests from a house which was due for sale have been ordered to donate €10,000 to charity.

Hazel Lindsay of Knock Road, Roscrea, Co Tipperary and Gerard Bracken (63) of 28 Rockview Drive, Portlaoise both pleaded guilty to causing injury to protected birds and also to the wilful destruction of wild bird nests at Cullenagh in Laois in July of 2025.

Conservation Ranger at the National Parks and Wildlife Service(NPWS), Kieran Buckley said the NPWS received a complaint on July 25 stating that House Martin nests had been destroyed at a house in Cullenagh.

He said photographs of the scene were taken which showed the nests belonged to House Martins which he explained were an Amber listed species, meaning they are of conservation concern as their numbers are dropping.

Mr Buckley said eggs were smashed and there were pictures of dead House Martin chicks. He said “one little chick” survived and was rescued. He said a number of nests were destroyed and they had been “blasted off a wall”.

Judge Andrew Cody asked him what he meant by blasted and Mr Buckley explained that they had been power-washed off a wall of the property.

The court was told the house had been rented out and was on the books of an estate agency.

Ms Lindsay worked for the estate agent and had directed the works in order to prepare the house for sale for the owner who lived abroad, the sitting of Portlaoise District Court was told. Mr Bracken was directed to power-wash the property. The woman who made the complaint to the NPWS was living with her children.

Mr Buckley said “her children were very distressed by what they saw”. He said House Martins have approximately four chicks in every brood and are known to repeat nest. He estimated that in this incident 205 birds were killed.

He said the tenant emailed the estate agent, Clement Herron Real Estate on July 16 to complain about the power-washing. They responded to the email on the same day and said they took the matter very seriously and all works carried out would be done in full compliance with the wildlife protection laws, said Mr Buckley.

He told Judge Andrew Cody that despite the email, Mr Bracken returned to the house the following day and “destroyed more nests on the back wall” of the property.

Mr Buckley interviewed Mr Bracken who took responsibility for his actions and he stated that he had been instructed to carry out the work and remove the nests. “He went out to the same house, he tells me, four times,” said Mr Buckley.

He then spoke to Ms Lindsay. “She made a full admission and she told me that she got Mr Bracken to clean the house,” he said.

The woman told Mr Buckley that she had been under pressure to sell the house. “Ms Lindsay admitted that she had seen House Martins flying into the nest on the 10th and 11th of June,” he said.

He estimated that 57 nests were destroyed and each would have had four fledged young.

“This is an Amber listed species which means it is in trouble,” he said.

“I have been doing this for 20 years and I have never come across anything like this or even close to it in terms of wilful destruction,” said Mr Buckley.

He said when he asked Ms Lindsay about it and “her only remark was, ‘I am going to lose my licence’,” he said.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said Mr Buckley had fairly outlined the case. She said Ms Lindsay wasn’t aware that Mr Bracken had planned to return to the property after the email and he wasn’t aware of the email. She admitted that this was no excuse. “They unreservedly apologise,” she said.

Ms Fitzpatrick said the owners of the house had wanted it sold. She said Clement Herron Real Estate are taking the matter “very seriously” and had “introduced a policy document to ensure this never happens again”.

She produced a letter of apology from Ms Lindsay and a reference on behalf of Mr Bracken. She said they had cooperated fully, pleaded on the first occasion and Ms Lindsay had brought €3,500 to court while Mr Bracken had brought €750. She suggested the money might go towards wildlife rehabilitation. They have certainly put their best foot forward today,” said Ms Fitzpatrick.

Judge Cody asked how much the house had been sold for. Ms Fitzpatrick said it was in the region of €500,000. He then asked how much Mr Bracken had been paid to power-wash the property and he was told €400.

Ms Fitzpatrick said Mr Bracken was on disability which allowed him to work for only a number of hours a week. She said he greatly assisted in the investigation.

Judge Cody asked Mr Buckley for his opinion. Mr Buckley described the incident as “appalling” and he suggested any money be donated to Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland.

Judge Cody agreed that the matter was appalling and he noted that it was done for financial gain.

“What was done here was for profit…clear them all out of the way because they are pooping all over the patio,” he said.

He adjourned the matter back to Portlaoise District Court on September 18 and said Ms Lindsay should bring €8,000 and Mr Bracken should bring €2,000. Judge Cody said he would apply the probation act subject to the payment of the money.

Mr Buckley said the NPWS receives a lot of calls about nests being destroyed. He described it as “sort of death by a thousand cuts” for the “already endangered” species.