Estate agent pays €8,000 after House Martin nests power-washed off Laois house

An estate agent hit out at the National Parks and Wildlife Service after compensation was paid for directing the power washing of 57 House Martin nests off a house in Laois.

An agent at Clemont Herron Real Estate donated €8,000 to a wildlife charity after she ordered the destruction and removal of House Martin nests at a house which was due for sale in Laois.

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

Ms Lindsay appeared before a sitting of Portlaoise District Court accompanied by estate agent Clement Herron, of Clement Herron Real Estate last Friday, September 18.

A solicitor for the State said Ms Lindsay had discharged the amount of compensation that was due and costs had also been covered. She had previously been ordered to pay €8,000 to Wildlife Rehabilitation Ireland while Mr Bracken, who carried out the power-washing work, was ordered to pay €2,000.

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said Mr Bracken was away on a holiday which had been booked prior to the first court appearance. She said he would be returning at 10pm in the night and “he will have the €2,000 upon his return”.

Judge Andrew Cody adjourned Mr Bracken’s case to October 16 for payment of the compensation. He noted Ms Lindsay had paid the money as requested and said he would apply Section 1(1) of the Probation Act.

A previous sitting of Portlaoise District Court last July was told the 57 nests would have produced 205 chicks.

During that court sitting, National Parks and Wildlife Services(NPWS) Conservation Ranger Kieran Buckley 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.”

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 the estate agency. Ms Lindsay works for the estate agent and had directed the power-washing in order to prepare the house for sale for the owner who lived abroad. Mr Bracken carried out the power-washing at the property.

Speaking outside court last Friday, Mr Herron accused the NPWS of being unfair and said he was given no right of reply.

He denied there were 57 nests on the property. “There was no more than eight or nine nests there on the gable of that building. Eight or nine nests … that’s all that was on it,” he said.

“We paid a heavy, heavy price for what went on, they didn’t give us any right to reply,” said Mr Herron.

Despite his misgivings about the investigation and subsequent prosecution, Mr Herron said: “Why didn’t we fight it? Because we could get a conviction.”

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said. “The way it was handled is wrong. But, we’re paying it to get rid of it,” said Mr Herron.

Ms Lindsay declined to comment when asked about the incident and said she was putting the matter behind her.