A female swan who crash-landed onto a wet road in Moycullen thinking it was water, was the first rescue of 2024 for a local bird sanctuary.

The pen was lucky not to have been injured when she hit the road at Clooniff on Wednesday last, but she was in shock and stressed that she hit hard surface and not a stream.

Local man Brian Mulkerrins and his son Diarmuid, who was home from Texas, were driving towards the handball alley when they came upon the swan in distress in the middle of the road, about 100 yards as the crow flies from Ballyquirke Lake.

They didn’t know what to do and googled ‘swan helpline’ where they found a number for Galway and Claddagh Swan Rescue.

Mary Joyce Glynn of the swan rescue talked them through what to do over the phone.

The father-and-son duo coaxed the swan into a field where she was able to rest and recover before resuming her journey when her strength returned.

“Only for Mary, we wouldn’t know what to do to be honest with you. The bird looked okay, was able to walk and could spread her wings. Mary said she would be very confused. Luckily, maybe 25 yards away there was a gate, and we guided her into the field as you would any livestock,” said Brian Mulkerrins.