Artists find new use for discarded Christmas trees

It was perhaps the most unusual sight in Dublin yesterday - hundreds of Christmas trees planted on Sandymount Strand

It was perhaps the most unusual sight in Dublin yesterday - hundreds of Christmas trees planted on Sandymount Strand. Many motorists driving along the seafront stopped to stare and to ask what was happening.

The "forest on the beach" art installation was organised by Barbara Nealon (26) and Tara Kennedy (22), both recent art school graduates.

They had earlier leafleted houses in the area asking people to bring their Christmas trees to the seafront or to allow them to be collected from their houses. Those who brought their trees were shown where to plant them in the sand.

About 60 trees were collected from houses in the locality and the remainder came from the nearby Dublin City Council Christmas tree collection centre in a car park on Strand Road.

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Ms Nealon said the plan was to allow the tide to come in and surround the trees on the beach. She estimated that with the help of 30 volunteers, up to 400 trees would be planted during the course of yesterday.

The proceedings were filmed with a view to making a short film.

"We're creating a forest here on the beach," she said. "It's an experiential thing . . . It's been wonderful to see people's reactions as they walk along. It's a really uplifting thing as well."

A spokesman for Dublin City Council said it had approved the "Transplant" exhibition, once certain conditions were met.

Council officials were present to oversee the installation of the trees yesterday. They are due to be removed later today.