02 January 2014

Busiest Christmas for tree surgeons

As ESB crews worked over Christmas to restore power to homes, tree surgeons were also busy dealing with the huge numbers of fallen trees.

It's been the busiest Christmas in years for forestry workers who have been out in bad weather tending to trees damaged in storms and making safe trees in danger of falling.

In Killarney National Park, about 60 mature trees were lost in the storms, most lifted from the ground by the roots.

Around the town, about 10 trees were lost, including two beech trees, one of which was over 200 years old.

There has never been so much damage caused by a storm but others remember similar weather in 1972 where extensive damage was caused at Fota in Cork.

Tree surgeons advise people to check their own trees, especially if they're near a public road or wall.

We expect to spend the next couple of weeks working in the area before it's returned to normal.