To celebrate twenty years of the annual Dawn Chorus, RTE’s Derek Mooney and Rory Cowan of Mrs Browns Boys fame will officially unveil RTÉ Radio’s Dawn Chorus audio and visual exhibition at Cork Airport this Friday.

The event will also be attended by RTE broadcaster, Blathnaid ni Chofaigh and Alan Hughes from TV3. The sound and vision installation will be in situ for the entire month of May - the peak time to hear birds sing in Ireland.

Speaking ahead of the event Head of Communications at Cork Airport Kevin Cullinane said: “We’re delighted to team up with RTE’s Mooney’s Goes Wild for this unique experience. At Cork Airport we will have an exhibition detailing the different characteristics and appearance of birds.  Passengers, family and friends will be cheered by the wonderful sound of the Dawn Chorus in the main terminal and the baggage claims area. Six display units will feature some of the birds of the Dawn Chorus.”

RTE’s Derek Mooney, presenter of ‘Mooney Goes Wild’ explains the uniqueness of the broadcast: “For the first time in the programme's 20-year history, we'll be linking up with our colleagues in BBC Radio Ulster, as they carry all six hours of the Mooney Goes Wild Dawn Chorus live across Northern Ireland. We'll have contributions from BBC Radio Ulster presenter Anne Marie McAleese and bird expert Dot Blakely. The recording for the Dawn Chorus that will be piped throughout the terminal was recorded at Cuskinny Marsh Nature reserve in Cobh and photographs for the exhibition were taken by Cobh man Mark Carmody.”

Explaining the idea behind the Dawn Chorus Derek continues: “It is traditionally the time when wildlife enthusiasts across the nation set their alarm clocks at the crack of dawn to go out to enjoy a morning of beautiful birdsongs.  Of course, it’s not the only day on which you can listen to the beautiful dawn chorus - the birds will be in full voice all summer long, and the opportune time to hear them is in the twilight period just before sunrise.

“The Dawn Chorus is perfect for radio, a completely auditory experience. Even when you’re outside you can hear the birds clearly. I’m not the principal of the Dawn Chorus, the birds are very much at center stage.”

Cork Airport is the international gateway to the south of Ireland. Welcoming over 6,000 passengers a day, and more than 11,000 passengers a day in peak season, it is the country’s second busiest airport after Dublin. More than 2.1 million passengers travel through the airport each year, flying to destinations across the UK and throughout continental Europe.