Heritage Trees of Ireland

Trees are a precious part of Ireland's heritage. Well-known examples are the `Hungry' Tree at King's Inns, Dublin, which appears to be consuming a bench, and Lady Gregory's `Autograph' Tree at Coole Park, Galway - a copper beech signed by W. B. Yeats, George Bernard Shaw, John Masefield, and others. Ireland's oldest native tree is the Silken Thomas Yew tree at St Patrick's College in Maynooth, with a girth of 14 yards; it is 700-800 years old. The famous Muckross Friary Yew in Killarney stands in the centre of the ruined Muckross Friary. Illustrated with fine photography, these pages present a fascinating world of trees unique to Ireland with connections dating back over thousands of years. Photographs by Carsten Krieger and Kevin Hutchinson.