“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.” – Greek Proverb.
It was great to see, once again, biodiversity being restored to the area of the Thurles Double Ditch, latter situated beside Dun Muileann Housing Estate, on Mill Road, in Thurles yesterday and sponsored by Allied Irish Banks(AIB).
Tree planters pictured above are students from Thurles Ursuline Convent Secondary School with Ms Anne Marie Fleming,(Tipperary County Council Biodiversity Officer)and Mr John Lanigan(Refresh Thurles).
Tree planters pictured above are students from Thurles Presentation Convent Secondary School with MrRichard Mulcahy (Co-founder of the 100MT Project initiative)
So, how important was yesterday’s Thurles undertaking?
The two videos, shown immediately hereunder, should assist, greatly, in granting an understanding into the importance of yesterday’s Thurles project.
So what can we expect to see here in just 2 years from now?
Congratulations to all those responsible for yesterday’s undertaking, which, sadly, saw no elected politicians making themselves available to turn sods; however, in mitigation I suppose it wasn’t an election year and the trees were too small to allow the holding up of election posters, using tech screws.
The “Sweet White Violets”(Latin Name: Viola odorata alba), which is expected to appear in late winter or early Spring, arrived exactly on time this year, exhibiting a massive crop of blossoms.
Sweet White Violets pictured here with emerging wild Primroses. Pic: G. Willoughby.
This small hardy herbaceous perennial is also commonly known as ‘Wood Violet‘; ‘English Violet‘; ‘Common Violet‘; ‘Florist’s Violet‘ and ‘Garden Violet’.
Sweet White Violets: The flowers which are either dark violet or white in colour, are scented, with the species most often found near the edges of forests or in shaded clearings; it is also a common “uninvited guest” found on shaded lawns or elsewhere with in Irish gardens.
Both the leaves and flowers are edible and in the late Victorian period, were used in the production of cosmetic fragrances and perfumes and in the production of medicine. Interesting to note: The scent somehow has suggested sex, so the violet served as a symbol of a favoured flower of Aphrodite, (latter ancient Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty); and her son, Priapus, (latter a minor fertility god in Greek mythology), who was also the protector of livestock, fruit plants and, yes male readers should note, male genitals. Both the former named Greek goddess and minor god were the deity of gardens.
A Bunch Of Violets Blue.
Lyrics: Attributed to composer, writer John McCormick. Vocals: Irish country, traditional and easy listening singer, guitarist and saxophone player, the late Tom McBride, (Big Tom 1936–2018).
A Bunch Of Violets Blue.
It was out in a moonlit garden, Not far from the ballroom grand, A soldier and his sweetheart, Went strolling hand in hand. Tomorrow the war would call him, And he vowed he would be true, And from her breast she gave to him, A bunch of violets blue. They were only a bunch of violets, A bunch of violets blue, Fresh and fair and dainty, All sparkle like the dew. Fresh and fair and dainty, As he pressed them to his heart, He smiled and said where’er he’d roam, From them he’d n’er would part. A soldier boy lay dying, Upon the cold, cold ground. A bunch of withered violets, Upon his breast was found. Turning to his comrades, In a feeble voice he sighed. Take them back and tell her that, I wore them till I died. They took the withered violets back, It been on her wedding day. An old man’s gold had won her, From her soldier far away. An old man’s gold had won her, From her soldier young and tall, And this is what he said to her, One evening at the ball. They were only a bunch of violets, A bunch of violets blue, Fresh and fair and dainty, All sparkle like the dew. Fresh and fair and dainty, As he pressed them to his heart, He smiled and said where’er he’d roam, From them he’d n’er would part.
Delayed Planting Of 2,500 Tree In Thurles Now Scheduled For Friday March 21st.
The 100 Million Tree’s Initiative is to plant a 2,500 tree urban forest at Mill Road, south-east of Thurles Town, is now set to take place on Friday March 21st next, at 10:30am.
The planting is set to be undertaken on a strip of land purchased by taxpayers and currently in the care of Tipperary Co. Council, on land on the west side of the Mill Road in the townland of Monakeeba.
See Area Map hereunder. [Eircode E41 NP02].
The event was due to take place initially on Monday January 27th, 2025, however same was cancelled due to weather and ground conditions; the area being part of the flood plain of the River Suir.
100 Million Trees Project:
The 100 Million Trees Project is a national Not-for-Profit initiative being run by siblings, Richard, David and Tina Mulcahy.
The project aims to see the planting of 100 million native Irish trees across the island of Ireland over the next decade, as a community-driven initiative to reverse the immense environmental damage caused by the reduction of forests worldwide and the loss of huge areas of biodiversity.
The project’s ambitious aim will be achieved through densely planting between 500 and 2,500 native Irish trees at a time across small areas of land using ‘The Miyawaki method’. Named after the late Japanese Botanist, Professor Akira Miyawaki (1928-2021), who developed the technique in the 1970s as a means to restore degraded land, the Miyawaki Method of over-planting trees, has been successful in creating over 1,700 forests worldwide.
Thurles public are invited to attend, with schools; local residents associations and Refresh Thurles (Tidy Towns) being invited to volunteer to aid with the planting; with sponsor Allied Irish Bank (AIB) in attendance to record the event for their website.
By planting excess trees together, same grow 10 times faster; 30 times denser; create an area 100 times more biodiverse, and most importantly create a very rapid carbon sink. This inexpensive approach requires significantly smaller planting areas and can be carried out on unused or fallow land across Ireland. Dense areas of afforestation can also actually play a role in reducing the impact of forest fires, while at the same time provide excellent areas of biodiversity.
In 2022-2023 – 20,600 Irish native trees were planted in 6 counties on the island of Ireland. In 2023-2024 – a further 201,750 Irish native trees were planted in 19 counties. In 2024-2025 the target is to plant a further 550,000 trees in 28 counties.
Tomorrow, Monday January 27th, the planting of 2500 trees will take place on the Mill Road, southeast of Thurles Town (Eircode E41 NP02), same sponsored by Allied Irish Bank as part of the 100 Million Tree’s Initiative.
The public are welcome to attend at 10:00am, with schools; the local residents association and Refresh Thurles (Tidy Towns) being invited to volunteer to aid with the planting; on land held by Tipperary County Council and paid for by taxpayers.
Storm Éowyn lays tree to rest in St Patrick’s cemetery Thurles. No damage to surrounding grave sites. Picture: G. Willoughby.
100 Million Trees Project:
The 100 Million Trees Project is a nationalNot-for-Profit initiative being run by siblings, Richard, David and Tina Mulcahy.
The project aims to see the planting of 100 million native Irish trees across the island of Ireland over the next decade, as a community-driven initiative to reverse the immense environmental damage caused by the reduction of forests worldwide and the loss of huge areas of biodiversity.
The project’s ambitious aim will be achieved through densely planting between 500 and 2,500 native Irish trees at a time across small areas of land using ‘The Miyawaki method’. Named after the Late Japanese Botanist, Professor Akira Miyawaki(1928-2021), who developed the technique in the 1970s as a means to restore degraded land, the Miyawaki Method of overplanting trees, has been successful in creating over 1,700 forests worldwide.
Storm Éowyn drowns tree in Drish River, south on Mill Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Picture: G. Willoughby.
By planting excess trees together, these grow 10 times faster, 30 times denser, create an area 100 times more biodiverse and most importantly create a very rapid carbon sink. This inexpensive approach requires significantly smaller planting areas and can be carried out on unused or fallow land across Ireland. Dense areas of afforestation can also actually play a role in reducing the impact of forest fires, while at the same time provide excellent areas of biodiversity. In 2022-2023 – 20,600 Irish native trees were planted in 6 counties on the island of Ireland. In 2023-2024 – a further 201,750 Irish native trees were planted in 19 counties. In 2024-2025 the target is to plant a further 550,000 trees in 28 counties.
This event is to be welcomed.
Meanwhile; sadly 3 mature trees lost their lives during Storm Éowyn last Thursday night – two trees in the immediate vicinity of Thurles Cemetery(One inside & one outside the entrance gates), and another mature tree which met its ‘Waterloo’ in the Drish River, latter situated on the Mill Road south of Thurles town.
Progress, economic prosperity, and health all threatened unless Ireland increases the scale, pace, and ambition of environmental action.
Dul chun cinn, rathúnas geilleagrach agus sláinte i mbaol mura méadaíonn Éire scála, luas agus uail.(Irish Language Translation: Progress, economic prosperity and health are at risk if Ireland does not increase scale, speed and ambition (pride).
Ireland has modernized and prospered since joining the EU over 50 years ago – future prosperity and health are threatened unless we better protect our environment.
We are continuously playing catch-up – a forward step in one area is often matched by one or two steps back in another.
Actions on many fronts are having positive impacts but are entirely inadequate to deliver a healthy environment.
For too long we have merely aimed to ‘get by’, aspiring to only minimum standards – in many instances, we don’t even reach those.
Serious action cannot be postponed – we need a rapid and resolute advance in environmental performance driven by a national policy position on the environment.
For too long, the Report says, we have merely aimed to ‘get by’ aspiring to only minimum standards, and then in many instances not even meeting those. The report shows that actions on multiple fronts to address issues are not keeping pace with growing pressures and our environment continues to degrade. What is now needed, the report continues, is a strategic leap, a shared vision for how we will adapt our lives and work to protect our own existence within the next decade, and a national policy statement on the environment that articulates and drives this transition.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Ms Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA said: “We have made immense progress as a nation. Our membership of the EU helped us achieve that. We now look back to a time when we had serious industrial pollution of our rivers, when we relied on over a hundred municipal dumps, when we burned smoky fuel in our cities – and we can never go back to that”.
“But where we are right now,” Ms Burke added, “while it is better, is nowhere near good enough. We are always playing catch-up. We now have virtually no seriously polluted rivers, but we have hardly any pristine ones left, either. We now recycle more, but produce more waste than ever and export much of it. We are taking positive actions across multiple fronts, but they are not keeping pace with the growing pressures, and our environment is being squeezed. Increments now are not best use of scarce time and resources: We need to make a fundamental shift.”
That fundamental shift, according to the report, would start with a national policy position on the environment, that allows for long-term planning and would ensure that the environment is prioritised consistently across decades.
The report identifies five key essential areas we must prioritise to deliver the impact we need:
We urgently need a national policy position on the environment.
We must rigorously implement existing environmental plans and programmes to achieve the benefits that they were developed to deliver.
We need to transform our energy, transport, food and industrial sectors.
We need to scale up investment in water, energy, transport and waste management infrastructure.
We need to understand the absolute link between protecting our environment and protecting our health – harm one and we harm the other.
“We know what we have to do” Ms Burke added. “Our energy, transport, food and industrial sectors are the core of where this transformation can, must, and will happen. We must harness all of our resources to meet this challenge. Not acting now only postpones inevitable change that will be much more difficult, and more costly, later on.”
Dr Micheál Lehane, EPA Director said: “It is clear that our environmental challenges are interconnected and they are complex. We need to drive action across climate, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and pollution goals. This will not be easy and we cannot underestimate the challenges of moving to a path of a less wasteful, regenerative society. The IPCC has highlighted that there is now a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all. It is not negotiable. We need our air, water and natural environment to continue to prosper. You either change for the environment now or the environment will irrevocably change us and how we live later. We, in Ireland, must do our part in making this sustainable future a reality.”
Ms Laura Burke, Director General of the EPA concluded: “We can no longer take the environment for granted. By taking determined actions, we will ensure we are not going to go back, or playing catch-up. This time, we need to be ahead. A healthier environment is attainable for all and is within our reach.”
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