In The Frame
Amplexus – This must be underwater love
The shot was taken up on Montpellier Hill, the hill that has the Hellfire Club on top of it.
When I got to the pond there were over 100 frogs engaged in what can only be described as a Frorgy – a frog orgy (not an official scientific term). The pond was a sexual soup primarily made of spawn with generous helpings of fornicating frogs on top of it, under it and swimming through it – all engaged in a fevered effort to make more of it. Strewn around the edge of the pond were some injured, dead and half eaten frogs that other creatures had feasted on. You wouldn’t have been surprised if Elton John appeared out of a bush singing Circle of Life.
Only 20 mins drive from the suburbs of Dublin, Montpellier Hill is home to many diverse and delicate habitats that are in danger of damage and destruction due to a proposed interpretive centre, coffee shop and car park that South Dublin county council wants to build.
Check out #savethehellfire on social media to find out more on how to preserve this wonderful amenity on our city’s doorstep. Frogs and their spawn are now protected under Irish law and should never be removed from their habitats.
