There are horrifying scenes across Ireland as dozens of birds have fallen dead out of the sky.
Dead gannets have been found on beaches and harbours around the country, with concerned members of the public raising the alarm.
The bizarre discoveries have sparked fears of a new strain of avian flu, the Irish Mirror reports.
Huge colonies of the diving birds have been destroyed in the UK recently thanks to the flu, with experts concerned the problem has now spread to Ireland.
Niall Hatch from Birdwatch Ireland said they have received “hundreds of calls” about dead gannets and called for “urgent action” by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) before ducks, foxes and domestic poultry are destroyed.
He said: "Bio security is now a big concern.
"I have personally found four dead gannets near my home and one on the N11 yesterday.
"Birdwatch Ireland has received hundreds of calls about dead gannets and it’s a terrible shame.
"We are waiting for clarification on what to do, and how to handle the situation and the advice is not coming quick enough from the National Parks and Wildlife Service or the Department of Agriculture.
"Gannets are stunning birds and the reason they are being affected most of all is because the nesting season is not over for them yet.
"We don’t know if it is an Avian flu outbreak, but it is most certainly a suspected case of the virus.
"We are calling for immediate clarification from the NPWS on what is happening as the situation is awful. It really is horrible.”
"Gannets have been mostly affected but small numbers of the Razorbill and Guillemot have fallen victim too.
"There is a small risk of the virus spreading to humans but again, we don’t know what it is.
This is a bio security concern; the carcasses of these birds need to be lifted urgently because if other wildlife goes near these carcasses, you are facing a spread of the virus and a possible wipe-out."
