A file photo of a spider
An Irish homeowner has posted images and videos of a huge spider he found in his house in the south of the country.
Gavyn O'Donovan told the Sunday World he discovered the large arachnid in his kitchen at his home in Cork.
The 37-year-old, from Cork city, says the spider was "about the size of his hand" and it was accompanied by another smaller one.
Mr O'Donovan said he has no idea what species it could be, but it may be a cardinal spider or a wolf spider (see his video below).
Earlier this month, arachnid experts warned that large spiders were set to invade Irish homes in search for partners.
According to Irish arachnologist Myles Nolan, the spiders will come indoors in greater numbers as they go on the hunt for adequate breeding partners throughout the autumn months.
“Giant might be too strong a word to use for these spiders but they certainly are large. They can have a leg span of up to 3cm which might be intimidating to those who are fearful of them.
“The spiders mature throughout the summer and in late August and autumn they are mature and go wandering to look for females to mate with."
While common house spiders are for the most part harmless, Mr Nolan revealed that it is also breeding season for False Widow Spiders, whose venom is particularly nasty. Recently Northern Irish woman Aideen Hynes suffered a severe reaction to what she believes was a bite from a False Widow.
"It hasn't been confirmed that the case in Northern Ireland was a false widow but they are in Ireland," he said.
“The small False Widow spider is quite common in Ireland but it is largely harmless. The larger one has a particularly nasty vemon that can cause a reaction if bitten."
Those with little tolerance for the eight-legged creepy crawlies have few options to deter the creatures, despite nightly hovering.
“There is really no such thing as a spiderless house. Spiders enter homes through open windows and doors, holes in pipes and wall cavities. Things like ivy and railings would also provide access points to spiders.
“While it might be a bit unfair on the spiders, I can understand why people might be freaked out by them,” said Mr Nolan.