I think what I'm seeing here in Dublin, are hooded crows - at least, they match the picture in my guide book. Now, they had birds they called hooded crows in Egypt, but they were BIG! The ones in Ireland are much smaller, but they look more-or-less the same. Could it be that I'm seeing jackdaws here in Ireland?
Lots of magpies here, too - I don't think they can be mistaken, except that ours have yellow bills in the Central Valley of California.
-Joe-