The Falconer's Tale: Tommy Durcan on how an ancient art lives on in the 21st century

The ancient and noble art of falconry has been practised for thousands of years, but it's rarely been more easily accessible to the curious.

Today, there are places across Britain, Ireland and the rest of the world where you can go on a hawk walk — or an an owl prowl — accompanied by an expert guide and a bird of prey, to see for yourself how these majestic creatures fly and hunt.

One such expert is Tommy Durcan, a falconer at Ireland's School of Falconry at Ashford Castle — once a home of the Guinness family...