Some might think that man's best friend is a dog, but for one Dublin resident his best buddy is his parrot that loves to go for a cuppa or a gin and tonic in cafes and pubs around the city centre.
Dara Beggan lives in Smithfield and he is the proud owner of Roco, a 21-month-old Military Macaw.
Dara told Dublin Live that he took Roco home at seven weeks old after discovering him at Pet Jungle in Drimnagh.
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He said: "Roco was born in Tipperary there's a lad who breeds them there. Then when he was six weeks he was old enough to leave his parents, and exactly a week later when he was seven weeks I found him at Pet Jungle in Drimnagh. Or he found me."
Now the duo are inseparable, often going out to pubs and cafes around Dublin city centre together.
Dara said: "He likes to go out and about with me, he loves a cup of tea while I have a coffee. The alternative when I go out is putting him in a cage which he doesn't like, so I bring him around with me.
"He's a cheeky little divil, he's only a baby still but they say that parrots have the IQ of a three-year-old child. He can be demanding as well, when I'm on the phone he does be screeching because he doesn't like me not talking to him."
According to Dara, he and his good friend Aileen often go out to the pub or a cafe with Roco to enjoy a drink, and Roco's favourite cafes are Panem, Urbanity and Søren and Co and Mr Hobbs coffee van on the Great South Wall.
Roco's most visited pubs include Frank Ryan's, The Barbers, Bonobo in Smithfield and the Dockers.
His favourite food treat is chicken wings at Frank Ryan's and he also enjoys the odd pastry when out in a cafe. He also loves to sip the ice on a gin and tonic.
Dara explained: "We keep an eye for pet-friendly cafes and pubs, if a pub allows dogs we ask do they allow parrots. Only one pub has ever said no, I think the manager was afraid of birds."
They also bring Roco out to parks and he usually can be spotted wearing a harness when out for a walk so he won't get a fright and fly away.
Roco is not Dara's only exotic animal friend, as he also has a 36-year-old terrapin.
"Roco could live to be 70-years-old, he's my only bird but I do have a terrapin that's 36-years-old. I seem to go for the animals that live a long time."
Roco the parrot is also quite well-known around Smithfield and in the city centre, with many people coming up asking for a picture with the spirited parrot.
Dara said that Roco also has his own Instagram account as well as becoming famous when he and Aileen were tagged in a TikTok when they were out for a walk.
"Lots of people seem to know him now. He was also on the Ray D'Arcy show a few months ago as well."
Sometimes Dara also gets some funny messages on social media that are meant for Roco.
He said: "Someone asked on Instagram 'are you really a bird? How can you be typing if you're a bird?'."
Follow Roco's adventures around the city centre on Instagram at roco_mc.caw
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