Remaining natural forest in Ireland?

cfitz

I feel like I should know this. But a quick search on google didn't give me an answer so: are there any remaining natural forests in Ireland (where no trees have been planted)? If so, where are they to be found?

Thanks!

Judgement Day

Killarney?

magicbastarder

very few. derryclare wood in galway is considered ancient (ancient means more than 400 years old iirc, but not necessarily untouched), there are pockets in killarney, and there are other pockets of ancient woodland around the country.

but obviously all would be affected by non-native species, etc., so there's no 'primeval wildwood' left.

this book might be helpful:
http://www.lilliputpress.ie/listbook.html?id=144232429

Rovi

There's also Tomnafinnoge Wood between Shillelagh and Tinahely, considered to be a fragmentary reminder of the vast Shillelagh Wood that was part of the Coolattin Estate.

Here's a 2010 NPWS paper on "A provisional inventory of ancient and long‐established woodland in Ireland" (10.2MB .PDF file):
www.npws.ie/publications/irishwildlifemanuals/IWM46.pdf
Table 6 (page 24) is a pretty comprehensive listing of "Sites designated as containing stands of Ancient Woodland (AW) or Possible Ancient Woodland (PAW) following desk‐based research."

meathstevie

I've been told by folks who should know ( lads who work for the NI forrestry service ) that the broadleaf forrest on the Florencecourt side of Cuilcagh mountain is a natural woodland.

swifts need our help!

Parts of Crom in Fermanagh are ancient

lukiluc

"Scattered throughout Ireland- are small pockets of woodland which reflect the characteristics of Ireland’s native cover- survived mainly due to their location on extremely infertile and inaccessible sites of no use for farming, or within the protective walls of larger estates"

"The wind-beaten hazelwoods on the Burren of Co. Clare, the oakwoods surrounding the Lakes of Killarney in Co. Kerry, and the yew-woods in Aughnanure (derived from the Irish for ‘the meadow of the yews’) in Co. Galway, are all examples"

"Many of our native forests are located within National Parks managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, e.g. Glenveagh National Park in Co. Donegal and Killarney National Park in Co. Kerry- also within the forest resource managed by Coillte, and within the grounds of many larger private estates"

Accrding to: ‘The Society of Irish Foresters’

OpenYourEyes

Mod Note: Six year old thread, locked! Lukilic if you want to start a discussion on the topic I suggest starting a new thread (I can move the above comment if needs be)