Vets have confirmed bird flu in the carcass of a peregrine falcon discovered near Limerick.
The remains are being tested this weekend to see if it is the same "highly pathogenic" strain that has ripped through poultry farms in the UK, the Netherlands in Germany.
Approximately 50,000 birds have been culled across Europe in the last fortnight to try and stop the spread.
Irish Farmers' Association president Tim Cullinane says chicken farmers here are rightly worried but the risk to humans from bird flu is miniscule.
"This is what happens every year during the winter period.
"There's no risk to human health, there's no risk to eggs, chicken or poultry meat, there's no concern here for the consumer, it's just a bit worrying for the flock owners themselves- if (the flock) get the disease there would be losses on the farm."
