Unknown to most Dubliners, a breeding pair of rare peregrine falcons have made their home on Dublin’s iconic Poolbeg chimneys.
The short documentary Quill To Power explores the relationship between the endangered birds and the disused smokestacks that define the Dublin skyline.
The chimneys themselves appeared to be endangered recently when the ESB questioned the cost of their upkeep, but after much clamour the national power company has agreed to preserve the fifty-year-old structures.
Directed by journalist Alan Caulfield, the film talks to locals and to the bird enthusiasts who have become the unofficial guardians of the falcons – the fastest animals on the planet – while also inadvertently keeping an eye on the chimneys.
Using stunning footage of falcons and of the beloved red-and-white striped chimneys, the eight-minute film asks what should be done with the chimneys now the power station is shut, and how Dubliners would react if they, or the falcons, were gone.
Twitter: @alan_caulfield
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