Experience The Ancient East's Sport of Kings
Come experience Hawks, Falcons and Owls at the only dedicated purpose built Birds of Prey education centre on the Waterford Greenway.
Welcome to Mayfield Birds Of Prey
Mayfield Birds of Prey offers you an opportunity to meet, handle and fly a variety of birds of prey. An education attraction suitable for all the family, groups and couples looking for fun.
We guarantee excitement, fun and lots of photographic opportunities.
The falconer can take you back in time to experience and participate in the ancient art of Falconry.
An unforgettable experience will be had by all at Mayfield Birds of Prey.
Open 7 Days All Summer
Located On The Waterford Greenway
The Waterford Greenway opened in 2017 following the route of the old railway line, it attracts 250,000 visitors per year and has lots to offer but no trip to the Greenway could be done without visiting our birds of prey centre located at the old Kilmacthomas workhouses.
Our Daily Shows
We are open all summer long with four public shows available every day. We also offer on request private shows for families, groups, couples or tour groups.
9.30Am
&
2.30pm
Daily In Summer
Birds Of Prey Experience
This is a 90 minute experience where you get to meet all of our birds and then go for a short walk to our flying area and have fun flying the birds. This experience is for an older audience aimed at adults or older teenagers.
Adults €40.00 per person
Booking in advance is essential
Group rates available – contact us
11.30am
&
1.00pm
Daily In Summer
show & tell bird show
This 60 minute show is suited for familys and a younger audience. Come listen to the falconer tell you about these wonderful birds and get your photo taken with them. Handle the birds and meet them all and get a chance to hold them.
Kids (Under 10) €10.00
Kids (Over 10) €15.00
Adults €20.00
Booking in advance is essential
private bird shows & flying experiences
Sometimes joining in with others doesn’t suit. Maybe you have a private group or you want a more intimate bird show. Join us for a private bird show and spend more time with the birds.
Private groups/experiences start from €70
What Our Guests Say
Posted on Paul B2025-09-26Verified Awesome visit Absolutely awesome experience, Willy is a champion.He has so much care for the birds and went out of his way to give us an amazing visit. Totally recommend, PS I do not do reviewsPosted on Jen S2025-09-07Verified Highly recommend!!! I cannot say enough great things about Willie and the Mayfield Birds of Prey experience. Willie is incredibly knowledgeable and gracious. The birds are thoughtfully and carefully cared for. And our experience flying Mikey the Harris Hawk and holding the other birds of prey was so fun and unpressured. If you are in the area, you should absolutely make a visit!Posted on Meander184071825362025-08-21Verified A great day out for photographers. A big thank you to Billy at Mayfield Birds of Prey on behalf of the Carlow Photographic Society for welcoming us August 2025 and spending a day with us photographing all the wonderful birds of prey. Highly recommended.Posted on MAbelini2025-08-20Verified Amazing encounter with Ireland's Birds of Prey allowing holding/flying actual birds My family of four (all adults) had the privilege of experiencing a two hour bird encounter at the Mayfield Birds of Prey. It was an unforgettable experience and definitely a highlight of our trip to Ireland. The Mayfield Birds of Prey is run by a wonderfully informative and caring environmentalist named Willie. We had booked in advance a two hour private encounter. Willie met us and told us about the history of his conservation efforts and the Center. Then we went outside where there were about ten cages filled with owls, falcons and hawks. The truly exciting part of our experience was when Willie chose a beautiful hawk named Mikey to take for a walk. We all put on the safety equipment needed to handle a wild bird of prey, in particular the leather glove. As we walked, Willie sent Mikey out to fly and on his way back he took turns landing on each of our arms. It was an exhilarating experience. Mikey also surprised us by jumping from arm to shoulder to the top of our head. It was incredible!!! After our walk, we got the opportunity to choose two more birds from the aviary. We chose two owls and we all got the chance to hold them.We were never rushed through this experience. We learned so much from environmentalist Willie and truly appreciate the work he is doing for these beautiful birds. We highly recommend anyone to participate in a birds of prey encounter here a the Mayfield Birds of Prey sanctuary.Posted on Samantha A2025-08-09Verified Meet an Eagle and Willie, an endangered species This was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. Whether you are interested in birds of prey or not - Willie's knowledge, passion, enthusiasm along with his personality and approach will win you over. You get to see eagles!!, hawks and owls and not just see them, you walk them, fly them, feed them and learn all about where they come from and the manner of keeping them and all that comes with it. This is is the most unbelievable experience that will have your face sore from smiling and your mind blown. You will come away with a new found or heightened respect for nature and it's amazing creatures along with amazing people in the world like Willie. Can't fault a thing.Posted on Laois G2025-08-06Verified Beautiful birds We spent a morning with Willie and his birds. We would all recommend it and will definitely revisit. The birds were amazing and Willlie’s enthusiasm was infectious.Posted on Niall K2025-08-04Verified Beautiful birds in an excellent setting from a top class Falconer Fantastic experience for all ages , Willy knowledge and passion for these birds is beyond believe , and training of this birds to be at ease with people and especially kids is excellent Just a great overall experience and not expensive at all .Posted on Joanne M2025-07-25Verified Amazing experience We had an amazing time at Mayfield Birds of Prey. Willie's generosity with his knowledge and his time was second to none. Also his love and care for his birds was also so evident . These things combined made this an unforgettable experience.Posted on Heather A2025-07-24Verified Highlight of our Ireland trip! Visiting Mayfield Birds of Prey was truly the highlight of our trip to Ireland — for both the adults and our young kids (ages 3 and 6)! Willie was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and kind. You can tell how much he cares about the birds and sharing that passion with visitors.Flying the falcon and having it land on our arms was such a magical, unforgettable experience. Feeding the baby owl was equally fun and adorable — our kids are still talking about it!This is a must-do experience if you’re anywhere near the area. It was hands-on, educational, and full of heart. We can’t recommend it enough!Posted on Jevgenija L2025-07-17Verified Great experience! Nice and friendly atmosphere, a lot of new things to learn, fun facts and funny stories:) Healthy, happy, beautiful birds, well maintained premises. Really interactive, lovely to experience. Well worth going. Thanks for lovely day we had!
What Our Guests Say
Family experience not to be missed
The absolute highlight of This Groups trip!
- 108 Ratings
- 190 Ratings
- 258 Ratings
Exceeded this couples expectations
Local says Its like being let in on a secret !!
