Butterfly Ireland is the independent Irish butterfly reference, active since 2003. Every species page uses a real photograph of a correctly-identified specimen. Every distribution claim cites the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Every Gaeilge species name comes from a documented source, or the page says so honestly rather than invents one.
A twenty-year Irish reference
The site was built in 2003 on a hand-coded HTML template, expanded through the Donegal survey years, and rebuilt in 2019. This 2026 rebuild carries the same editorial promise: Irish species, Irish contributors, Irish photography, Irish citations.
How we source identifications
Real photograph rule: no AI-generated species imagery, ever. Cross-check against ukbutterflies.co.uk species reference. Named contributor verification before a photograph goes on a catalogue page. Public corrections log with dated notices at the top of any corrected page.
How we source distribution and status
Distribution: NBDC butterfly atlas 2014 to 2019, with the atlas period stated on every species page. Conservation status: Butterfly Conservation Ireland Red List (2010, revised 2019) and NPWS Article 17 reporting. Where a species is protected under the EU Habitats Directive, the annex is named.
How we make money
Modest affiliate commissions on the Gardening and Resources sections, from Amazon Associates and Irish native-plant nurseries. No affiliate links inside any species catalogue page. No sponsored posts, ever. The full policy is at the affiliate disclosure page.
Every sighting counts
Butterfly Conservation Ireland and the National Biodiversity Data Centre track changes in Irish butterfly populations through recorder submissions. Add a sighting, and a named contributor will verify it within seven days.