Aheron capturing a fish for its lunch has been named the winner of the Irish Examiner Readers Photography Competition for 2023.

The winning shot was captured by photographer Eoin Fealy along the Galway canals in September.

He told the Irish Examiner that he was fortunate in his timing.

He explained: “It (the canal) is along my walk where I’d normally do every day — you know just to get out and clear the head more than anything and I always have the camera with me.

“It was just the fact that the same heron is usually in the same spot in the canal.”

Mr Fealy explained how the heron had initially gone back into a bank of the canal with his mouth open.

He said: “I got lucky — it was like he went into the tree for a mouse or something. He ended up coming out with a big fish and I was lucky enough to be there with it,

“I was there a little while waiting for him to catch it because he went in and, you know, he’s obviously a good hunter — I thought a mouse would have been cool to catch in the picture but a big fish was better on the eye!”

Mr Fealy said he was “shocked and happy” when informed of his win, which sees him get €1,000 in prize money.

“Usually I never answer my phone! I might bring my kids on a small little holiday to Achill or something similar, we’ll wait and see.”