I spotted this creature at Killygarvan graveyard, Rathmullan, Co Donegal in July – a toad – but it doesn’t match the pictures of Irish toads. Francis McNichollThat is because it is not our native natterjack toad but a common toad, a species that is native in Britain and in continental Europe. There is also a colony of the same species of toad in south Co Dublin where it was first recorded in 2013 in Barnacullia. It is considered to be an invasive species by Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. A pair of wasps mating.

Source: The Irish Times December 06, 2025 18:00 UTC