 There are no snakes in Ireland and only one species of reptile ( the common lizard ) is native to the island . Extinct species include the Irish elk , the great <unk> and the wolf . Some previously extinct birds , such as the golden eagle , been reintroduced in about the year 2000 after decades of <unk> . Until medieval times Ireland was heavily forested with oak , pine and birch . <unk> today cover about 12 @.@ 6 % of Ireland , of which 4 @,@ 450 km ² or one million acres is owned by <unk> , the Republic 's forestry service . 
