We need to talk about Ash Dieback

Cluedo Monopoly · 03-03-2023 10:41PM

It will be interesting to see how many ash trees actually bud this year. I have a horrible feeling that the countryside will be littered with dead hulks. Many ash trees looked very sick last summer.

MegamanBoo · 06-03-2023 10:58AM

I thought I saw plenty signs of this last year especially when I travelled towards the midlands.

Very sad but I think there are some positive signs towards identifying genetically resistant strains.

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/forestry/research/ash-resistance-to-ash-dieback/

https://www.confor.org.uk/news/latest-news/a-new-breakthrough-on-ash-dieback/

Mullinabreena · 06-03-2023 11:13AM

I've a Ash tree in my back garden it was showing signs of dieback. For two seasons I gathered the leafs and last year I didn't notice any dieback. There's an Ash forestry beside me but it's all dead sadly.

Manach · 06-03-2023 11:19AM

From a historican perspective, the loss of Ash groves would be serious setback for cultural geography. Local place names in Ireland have numerous associated with Ash trees dating from the earliest recorded records (approx 6th AD) and as an example of their prevelance one can see this in the national place names database:https://www.logainm.ie/en/s?txt=ash&str=on .

gormdubhgorm · 06-03-2023 11:48AM

And what about the hurls???

Cluedo Monopoly · 06-03-2023 12:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120319960#Comment_120319960

They are making bamboo hurls now. I think we were importing most of the ash for hurls anyway.

08-03-2023 12:05AM

It's a bit of a tragedy. Was down home at the weekend and every Ash tree on the land and along the roads close by are already dying.

My Dad said he hasn't seen a hedgehog, badger, or red squirrel for years.

No one bothers with tillage as they couldn't make it work. Land that was worked for crops and sheep 50 years ago is now being set aside for fast-growing non-native trees.

I can't remember when I last saw a pig in a field. And if you had one then you couldn't get a local butcher to prepare it for you.

Large bottle small glass · 08-03-2023 11:47AM

I have 6 acres, of what was really excellent quality ash, which is more or less bollixed.

When it gets into a wood it is typically widespread within a year or so; from then its only firewood and not for long.

The Department/Forest Service have been appalling in their handling AND continued non existant bio security. You can still bring in boats loads of plants, firewood from anywhere you like with close to no restrictions from what I can see.

There are two major issues

Ash was the only native tree planted in large numbers in private forests. With so many farmers burned, don't expect us to get anywhere near our planting requirement. With current rental prices for even marginal land close to dairy land you would want to be nuts to plant. If you were to the only viable commercial crop is more spruce.
This is a gigantic future road safety issue, which hasn't manifested itself yet. I have 1700m of road frontage and in that about 60 ash trees. They will all have to be taken down. The Local Authorities I'm aware of are putting all the onus on the landowners, EVEN where they are growing on the road side of the ditch/fence. On regional road close to me I can't keep count of the number of problem ash trees even over a short distance.

08-03-2023 02:13PM

Very little being discussed in the media about this, I'd say the countryside will be a mess this year in some areas. Maybe most have not noticed yet.

Very very good point above too, its going to be a huge road safety problem over the next few years.

Cluedo Monopoly · 08-03-2023 02:18PM

Yeah the next big storm will bring down a lot of ash branches on roads.

Large bottle small glass · 08-03-2023 02:24PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120329833#Comment_120329833

It's not just that.

Even if healthy ash can be tricky to fell from ditches, with dieback its a complete guessing game as structurally the main trunk of tree can be comprised and hence very unpredictable.

When disease is advanced its not really work for a chainsaw, especially if on a roadside ditch where the desirable felling direction maybe unattainable safely.

If council were proactive, engaging with farmer and felling them all by machine into fields is probably the best answer and let the farmers tidy up the mess.

Instead we will have some Healy Rae or county manager calling for money after the first fatality/near miss

fits · 18-03-2023 05:10PM

We have a few around the garden. One snapped in a storm a couple of years ago narrowly missing the house.

Just took down three on the roadside this morning. We will leave the ones away from the road for now.

it’s dangerous to fell them as they snap.

looksee · 18-03-2023 08:17PM

I had 5 ash trees in my garden, one in the hedgerow and the rest in the garden. One was a scruffy multistemmed tree and another was very young, both had die back and have been removed. The one in the hedgerow is a granddaddy and, with the other two, is absolutely fine. Hope they stay that way!

crusd · 21-03-2023 01:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120329114#Comment_120329114

I have noticed a lot of activity this winter in felling trees adjacent to roads in both Mayo and Galway. Noticeably higher than anything I saw in previous years.

The ship sailed on Bio-security measures 10 years ago. Even "culling" infected woods and plantations will actually only prevent the emergence of resistant trees. From what I understand the best course of action now is to identify the resistant trees and start breeding new resistant cultivars. Unfortunately is going to take decades.

Donald Trump · 22-03-2023 10:42PM

Spare a thought for Tim Wheeler. It was all he had

pgj2015 · 03-07-2023 10:58AM

Has anyone any faith in the Co Councils to cut down the big ash trees with dieback that will eventually fall on people and kill them?

20Wheel · 03-07-2023 12:45PM

I was expecting some wild new outspoken twitter celebity involved in entertainment and neo-crap politics.

Outrage as Ash Dieback slams gender bill in new sexist rap video. - The Sun.

Ash Diebacks homey J Knotweed in gun mugging.

We need to talk about Ash Dieback

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