Speleologists have been largely responsible for finding bear bones in Ireland, most notably in Poll na mBear in Co. Leitrim, and yes, that does mean Cave of the Bears.
It appears from the study carried out by Daniel Bradley at Trinity College Dublin, that the crossbreeding occurred 20,000 - 50,000 years ago, much earlier than previous studies involving Alaskan brown bears indicated.
I often wonder what an excursion into the wild expanse of the Wicklow Mountains or to the Maamturks in Connemara would be like if bears were roaming wild. Imagine photographing a bear and cubs in the wild before heading off for a pint of Guinness. Or watching a bear fishing for salmon on the banks of the Liffey or Dodder outside Dublin. It would certainly give a different aspect to a photography tour or workshop in Ireland!
Alas, bears became extinct in Ireland some 3,000 years ago, possibly caused by human induced loss of habitat along with hunting.
