The Irishmen were part of a construction crew working for RARE Environmental who were hired to clear Manly Dam on Sydney’s northern beaches yesterday ahead of building work.

However, the work was halted after one of the workers spotted the red-bellied blacksnake and called for help.

Red-bellied blacksnake are a venomous species native to Australia and typically grow to 1.25m in length.

Local media have reported that the Irish men had only recently arrived in Australia and were unused to dealing with snakes – with one report even mentioning the legend of St Patrick having banished the reptiles from Ireland.

Snake catcher Chris Williams from the group Urban Reptile Renewal was called into remove the snake. Mr Williams contained the snake and relocated it in nearby bushland.

He told Yahoo News Australia: “When I got there it was still pretty active, and it seemed quite relaxed around people. It’s a high traffic area, so I’m sure it’s used to us. A lot of snakes I try and catch try to get away but this one showed no interest in doing that.”

RARE Environmental confirmed it had workers trained by wildlife rescue group WIRES on site to ensure animals are not harmed by their building work.

“Some of the labourers who were from overseas were a bit more taken aback by the snake,” construction manager Matt Goodwin told Yahoo News Australia.

“When I got there it was still pretty active, and it seemed quite relaxed around people. It’s a high traffic area, so I’m sure it’s used to us.

“A lot of snakes I try and catch try to get away but this one showed no interest in doing that,”