Frequently Asked Questions

What Happened To Ireland's Trees?

For thousands of years after the last Ice Age the natural woods of oak, elm, hazel, pine, birch
and other Irish native species dominated our landscapes and Ireland was very much a forest culture. The arrival of the Stone Age farmers (around 3000 years ago) was when clearance first started and by the 15th century only 14% of native woodland remained. Sadly by the 1801 this island was completely deforested and only a fraction of the original landscape has returned. We are still the least wooded country in Europe, with merely 1% of our native woodland left. While Irish native woodlands are a valuable part of our past, it is vital they are preserved as part of our future.