State forestry company Coillte has defended the recent felling of trees at the Hellfire Club forest in the Dublin mountains. It said the trees in the forest, a popular spot for walkers from Dublin and the surrounding area, were cut down for health and safety reasons after being damaged by storms and that there was a period of public consultation before the move.
Eamon McElwee, who grew up close to the forest in Rathfarnham, said the wood now bore no relation to the one he visited as a child. "I was up in the forest in November and then over Christmas when I returned, a few trees here and there had blown down but nothing major," he said. "I went back about two weeks ago and saw a new pathway in the forest. When I walked about 50 metres in, my jaw dropped."
A Coillte spokeswoman said the company carried out an “essential harvesting operation” of Noble Fir trees at the Hellfire Club between late January and the start of this month as the trees “had fallen over or suffered damage in storms, blocking the forest track and posing a risk to recreational users of the forest”.
She said all tree-felling was controlled by the Forest Service and that a licence to do so had been sought from the service in line with the 1946 Forestry Act.
The spokeswoman said that Coillte had ensured that a full “assessment of environmental impact, landscape sensitivity, local consultation requirements and relevant site issues” was carried out.
Signage was erected at the Hellfire Club car park and notices were placed on the Dublin Mountain Partnership and Coillte website before the harvesting, she added. “Beech trees planted prior to 1900 as part of the Massey’s Estate were retained during the harvesting operations and the area will be fully replanted in line with Coillte’s sustainable forest management policy.’’
Mr McElwee said it could take up to 50 years for the forest to be restored to its “former glory”. “I was just staggered by the damage that has been done and the amount of trees that were destroyed . . . it’s a pity that trees may have been cut down and nobody stopped it.”