VIDEO: One of Ireland's rarest species spotted in Athlone

This fascinating and rare footage of a pine marten in the back garden of a house in the Coosan/Clonbrusk area of Athlone over Christmas was sent to us by a reader.

The pine marten, once common throughout the country, now survives in only a few isolated and fragmented populations mainly in the west.

Adult pine marten are about the size of a domestic cat. They have a rich fur coat, typically dark brown in colour and a distinguishing creamy-yellow throat patch. 

In Ireland, pine marten were once widely distributed throughout every county. Current pine marten distribution is largely concentrated in western counties and the midlands.

Pine marten remain extinct throughout the majority of Munster and are very rare in Ulster.

http://youtu.be/EujznQAe_80