IRELAND'S TREES
Sacred since ancient times
There are 28 native Irish species with the most common being - Oak, Ash, Hazel, Birch, Scots Pine, Rowan and Willow. Over time, Beech, Sycamore, Horse Chestnut, Spruce, Larch and Fir arrived to Ireland
The Sacred Trees
Oak
Ash
Apple
Hazel
Alder
Elder
Yew
Climate Change
Ireland plans to plant 440m trees by 2040
Facts about Ireland and its trees
11.6% of the land is covered by trees
2% of native trees cover the land
Majority of native Irish woodlands are small
Most of Ireland's forests are conifer plantations from the 20th century
6 National Parks
76 Nature Reserves
20 Forest Parks
328 Irish Forests and Woodlands
Ireland's Ancient Classes of Trees
Nobles of the Wood
(Oak, Ash & Yew)
Commoners of the Wood
(Includes Alder, Birch & Rowan)
Lower Division of the Wood
(Includes Elder & Blackthorn)
Bushes of the Wood
(Gorse, Heather & Wild Rose)
Tree Sponsorship Scheme
"Gift a Tree & Grow a Forest" from Tree Council of Ireland.
Trees Planted
This is my journey in understanding the importance of trees for the natural world, which can only benefit our own, and it is taking my long love of trees in a new direction. This site is a scrapbook of sorts, reflecting my journey and the continuous work in Ireland's reforestation.
B.T. Heaphy
Educator & Member of Crann - Trees for Ireland
Reading
Ireland's forestry and woodland cover increases by 12%
What do trees have to do with Irish culture & identity?
By Claire Nolan
RTÉ - Brainstorm (October 2023)
Analysis: trees are fundamental to our sense of place and identity and can become symbols of cultural and political power
Giant's Grove - Largest Redwood forest outside of the U.S.
By Sean McGinnis.
The Giants Grove project is a partnership between Crann – Trees for Ireland, and Birr Castle Estate. On the surface it’s basically an eight hectare (20 acre) green-field afforestation project in the heart of Ireland that was launched by President Higgins in 2017, who also planted it’s first tree. But the Giants Grove is so much more than just your average forest, it’s a lot more special than you might think.
National Parks, Nature Reserves & Forest Parks of Ireland
Ireland's National Parks:
Burren - Co. Clare 1,500 ha.
Connemara - Co. Galway 2,000 ha.
Killarney - Co. Kerry 10,236 ha.
Wild Nephin - Co. Mayo 15,000 ha.
Glenveagh - Co. Donegal 16,000 ha.
Wicklow Mountains - Co. Wicklow 23,000 ha.
Ireland's Nature Reserves per province:
Munster - 25 (Clare, Cork, Kerry, Tipperary)
Connaught - 14 (Galway, Mayo, Sligo)
Leinster - 27 (Dublin, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford, Wicklow)
Ulster - 10 (Donegal)
To discover more on Ireland's National Parks and Nature Reserves, check the link below:
Forest Parks of Ireland:
There are 20 Forest Parks in Ireland, with 11 in the Republic and 9 in Northern Ireland. In addition to these, there are 328 Irish Forests and Woodlands, with 176 in the Republic and 152 in Northern Ireland. Discover more on these by checking out the following link for Forest Parks in Ireland:
More than half of native plants in decline
An article by George Lee, RTÉ, "More than half of native plants in decline".
RTÉ - Brainstorm (March 2023)
Importance of Trees in Irish Folklore & History
An article by Marion McGarry, "How trees were a huge importance in Irish folklore and history".
RTÉ - Brainstorm (December 2022)
The Importance of Forestry Biodiversity and Agri-environments in Ireland
An Article by Sarah Walsh, Environmental Science Student, UCC.
"Forest biodiversity refers to all life forms found within forested areas and the ecological roles they perform. It not only includes the trees, but the plants, animals and micro-organisms that live within the plantation"