Dying Chestnut Trees

by francis hughes Mon Jul 12, 2010 18:07

well spotted, keep up the good work. hope its not too late

by Mike Novack Mon Jul 12, 2010 20:20

Your European chestnuts trees a little if any more resistant to the chestnut blight fungus than the American species which once dominated the forests of the eastern US.

Go to the site acf.org (American chestnut foundation)

You'll probably have to do the same thing we are trying. Good luck.

by Jon Tue Jul 13, 2010 10:32 jonathan at stc dot ie

Hi John

I was looking for clues for our own chestnut tree, over 150 years old, two of them in fact are dying, they started to lose their leave about a month ago, far too early for autumn. There been no damage to the sap or anything as far as i'm concerned, I do suspected that it something killing the trees. Have you made any more progress in your research?
Jon

by Scientist. Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:17

The fungus has reached Ireland.

See report here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/7549489.stm
.

by Carmel Diviney Tue Jul 13, 2010 13:06

To: info@meathcoco.ie ; info@opw.ie ; martin.mansergh@oireachtas.ie ; >
Cc: info@agriculture.gov.ie ; mail@heritagecouncil.ie ; info@crann.ie ; dnfc @ eircom.net
Sent: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 10:34 AM
Subject: Urgent

Dear Sir/Madam,

Please see attached photos taken on Sunday 11-Aug-10 of the Nemnach Well on the Hill of Tara. It has run dry, as has the River Nith. There is no water springing forth as it has done for thousands of years and what water remains is stagnant and stinking. We are hearing reports that new wells have been sunk in the locality for domestic use and that, coupled with the recent hot weather has resulted in the Nemnach and its river facing its demise unless investigative and remedial action is taken immediately.

Sheep are dying of thirst and carcasses are to be found lying in the vicinity of this vital water source. They have been cleared by the OPW but we also know that the Farmer is aware of the situation and seems intransigent in his refusal to do anything about it, which is surely an issue for Animal Welfare also.

Apart from being the main water source for approximately 200 sheep on the Hill, it is also a place famous in our history and mythology and at one time was important enough to have been assigned a Keeper according to the Metrical Dindshenchas and thus should be preserved and protected.

In addition to the above I must also report that most of the Horse Chestnut trees on the Hill of Tara are now dead and dying. I know of others who have reported this but recieved no adequate reponse so our group are adding our voice to the call for this problem to be investigated forthwith.

We look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.

Sincerely,
Carmel Diviney,
Secretary,
Tara Skryne Preservation Group.
www.taraskryne.com

Nemnach- Photos Sean Gilmartin

by Farmer Giles Tue Jul 13, 2010 13:59

Ruminants :Sheep and Goats get their moisture from the grass, herbs etc and do not except in extreme circumstances drink water. Ruminants unlike cattle will not drink dirty or fouled water.

If sheep are dying on Tara then the cause has nothing to do with water. The reason lies elsewhere most likely fly or worm disease.

by Farmer Giles Tue Jul 13, 2010 13:59

Ruminants :Sheep and Goats get their moisture from the grass, herbs etc and do not except in extreme circumstances drink water. Ruminants unlike cattle will not drink dirty or fouled water.

If sheep are dying on Tara then the cause has nothing to do with water. The reason lies elsewhere most likely fly or worm disease.

by Carmel Diviney Tue Jul 13, 2010 14:02

TARA’S REMARKABLE PLACES, from the Metrical Dindshencas

5. Nemnach, a well which is at the elf-mound in the
north-eastern part of Tara. Out of Nemnach comes a stream
named Nith. ’Tis on this that the first mill was built in Ireland
for the benefit of Ciarnait, Cormac’s bondmaid.

6. The site of Mairisiu’s House is over the elfmound
to the north of Nemnach, and there are three small stones
about it. Thus was that house settled: its floor high and its
túarad (?) very low. Now Mairisiu was a widow contemporary
with Cormac. Every house that is settled in that wise
will not be gloomy and will not be without treasures in it.

7. To the north of that is the Fort of Loeguire son of Níall.
Therein are four doors facing the cardinal points, and Loeguire’s
body, with his shield and spear, was set in the outer
south-easterly rampart of Loeguire’s royal fort at Tara, with
his face to the south, fighting against Leinster, to wit, the
clann of Bresal Brecc.

Nemnach- The Pearly One, as she was.

by Carmel Diviney Tue Jul 13, 2010 14:41

Hi,

The sheep are doin ok since the weather broke and are indeed able to get the moisture from the grass once more but during the really hot spell the sheep all went to the well, the grass is trampled on both sides of the river as evidence- even if I hadnt seen it with my own eyes. At Summer Solstice one sheep lay dying unable to get water right beside the river and this was reported to the OPW that were patrolling the Hill. They told one campaigner that they would come back and remove him on the Monday after that wknd. He was still there the following week, surely that is cruelty beyond belief. We cleared another carcass yesterday. The farmer dosnt seem to care, what use are they to him dead?

Sheep are one thing, they will come and go, but the Nemnach, a Sacred well is in serious peril.

by Farrelly57 - Private Tue Jul 13, 2010 16:12

Well; sheep do not need water; thats a new one to me.
If it does not rain for weeks and the grass is cut, as at Tara; can they then survive on moisture.
I personally have seen sheep drink! I have even seen young sheep drink from their mothers for fun!
Where then do the mothers get the water for this milk?
I also seen a person take the head of what looked like a sheep out of the stream last Sunday, it was old admitted but dead too.
Goats drink too as far as I know; they don't drink a lot but they need water daily particulary if the are feeding young.
Only leopards need no water; only they can live from blood.

Here is some writings on the Nemnach.

TEMAIR BREG: A STUDY OF THE REMAINS AND TRADITIONS OF TARA. BY R. A. S. MACALISTER, Published JAXTAUY 20, 1919.

There is a spring, now much bemired by the trampling of cattle, at the south end of the ridge. It is marked " Well " on the twenty-live-inch map (Meath, sheet xxxi, 16). The six-inch map indicates it, but without any lettering. A streamlet flows eastward from it. The stream from Nemnach flowed eastward, according to the L text of Dind-shenchas Erenti (glassi bee theid [a N~\emniy sair. The word snir is omitted in the other Dublin MSS.). Had there been any trace of a tumulus on the edge of either of the springs, the identification with one or the other would be certain ; for it was by such a tumulus or s/rf-mound that the well Nemnach was marked when Dind-sh/'nchas Erenn was written. But the most careful search has failed to reveal any indication of such a mound. The earth around both springs has been cultivated, as the marks of furrows clearly show ; and the tumulus has been annihilated. The former existence of this sid is doubtless an indication that the waters of Nemnach, like those of the other springs of Temair, were sacred.

Ti'ch Mdiriscnif "The site of the House of Alairisiu (Idlhmck Taiyi Mmrisi'iid) is over the tumulus that is northward from Nenmach, with three small stones round it. Assuredly because the House of Mairisiu was something more than merely the residence of an otherwise undistinguished widow.
For PD records three further remarkable facts about it: (1) it was built above a tumulus ; not a place, I venture to assert, where any ordinary person contemporary with Cormac would willingly dwell;- (2) it was just beside Nemnach, the holy well; (o) there were three small stones round about it. 3 What were these three stones ? In all probability they were the remains of a stone circle that girdled the site of the house.

The conscientious Christian who wrote the note was doubtful as to the desirability, or the legitimacy, of perpetuating unalloyed the beliefs of paganism. Suppose that Mairisiu was, in the ancient creed, something more than human her uncanny choice of a dwelling-place would accord with this the writer might well feel a hesitation in recording the heathen beliefs about her. So, instead of saying that she was a goddess, he put down the first thing that came into his head.
If Mairisiu was originally a goddess, we can better understand why her house, i.e., her temple, was erected over a tumulus, beside a sacred well, and within a stone circle. We can also understand the complete destruction, not merely of the house (which might have been of wood, and have perished by the ordinary processes of decay), but also of the s/V, which would be practically indestructible without intentional violence. . the the ring is totally wiped out of existence.

by The greenspirit - Private Tue Jul 13, 2010 16:33

An introduction to feeding small ruminants
It goes without saying that nutrition exerts a very large influence on flock reproduction, milk production, and lamb and kid growth. Late-gestation and lactation are the most critical periods for ewe and does nutrition, with lactation placing the highest nutritional demands on ewes/does..
Small ruminants require energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and water. Energy (calories) is usually the most limiting nutrient, whereas protein is the most expensive. Deficiencies, excesses, and imbalances of vitamins and minerals can limit animal performance and lead to various health problems. Many factors affect the nutritional requirements of small ruminants: maintenance, growth, pregnancy, lactation, fiber production, activity, and environment.
Maintenance requirements increase as the level of the animals' activity increases. For example, a sheep or goat that has to travel a farther distance for feed and water will have a higher maintenance requirements than animals in a feed lot. Environmental conditions also affect maintenance requirements, and the added stresses of pregnancy, lactation, and growth further increase nutrient requirements.
SUSAN SCHOENIAN. University of Maryland.

by Morrigan Tue Jul 13, 2010 18:00

How much water is needed for sheep and goats for a day?

Livestock/Sheep/Goats
Sheep and goats can drink more than a gallon of water per day. Many sheep and goat owners provide an open water container for their sheep and goats, so this way the sheep and/or goats can drink whenever they feel the slightest bit parched. My sheep are provided with automatic water-ers which are nice because they fill themselves, I just have to clean them every day or so. Open bodies of water such as ponds or creeks are a good source of water for grazers. Hope this was helpful.

by Vet. Tue Jul 13, 2010 21:18

"Sheep are dying of thirst"

Sheep don't die of thirst in drenched Ireland.
They are desert animals.
They can die from too much water in Ireland's environment.
"Hoof Rot" is a disease of sheep caused by their hooves being permanently immersed in water in drenched wet Ireland.

A bit like the "Trench Rot" suffered by soldiers in WW1.

by Morrigan Wed Jul 14, 2010 09:14

Listen Vet, or whatever you are calling yourself these days. Got bored with your careers as an Engineer, Archaeologist, Technician and Botanist to name but a few,did you? Please do us a favour and leave the Vetinary work to those who are qualifued to speak.

by Carmel Diviney - Tara Skryne Preservation Group Wed Jul 14, 2010 10:06

Hi all,

The following articles have been posted to Stone Pages and Megalithic Portal by Sean Kier Moriarty. You will of course remember his theories on the Orthostat at the Mound of the Hostages and how it relates to the monuments as a map of Tara. The docufilm Tara Voices From Our Past was based on his work. Anyway, it looks like there has been some exciting developments and Sean is at last recieving some success in furthering interest from the Archaeological communities in his work. I wish him all the best with this, I for one would be Very happy to see more research involving LiDar and GeoSAR.

Support Sean!

Carmel

The following is an update on the progress to confirm my hypothesis regarding the symbols found on Orthostat L2 within the Mound of the Hostages at Tara.

Though the lidar and magnetic gradiometry images used to support my research, should have been sufficient enough to convince the Irish archaeologists whom I’ve corresponded with over the past three (3) years, that the matter warranted further investigation, this proved not to be the case. As such, I contacted the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) requesting their assistance in mapping the subsurface features of Tara. While they were unable to do so, the head of the department did respond with the following:

“Your idea that the orthostat is an early map of Tara is very interesting and certainly looks to me as if the features [symbols] line up with the terrain visible in the lidar image[s] and aerial photos.”

“Let me give you some idea of my background. I am an expert in mapping radar systems, of some 27 years experience. One of my interests over the years has been radar archaeology, and while I am not an archaeologist, I have worked with a couple in the past.”

“For the radar, we do have an airborne capability at JPL, but no near-term plans to deploy it to Europe (in which case it would be easy to tack on some flights over Co. Meath). But, JPL developed an interferometric radar called GeoSAR a few years ago, which has the sort of characteristics I think you need, and is now operated by a commercial company.”

At NASA’s suggestion, I submitted a proposal to the aforementioned geosciences firm, and received the following from their Chief Operating Officer (COO).

“First, my apologies for the delayed response as I needed a little time to check into the facts of the matter before getting back to you. Also, let me say that I appreciate your interest in Tara and your endeavours to have its historic importance recognised by UNESCO so as to preserve this site for future generations."

"Our recommendation would be that you contact the appropriate agencies in Ireland such as the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, or the Department of Communication and Natural Resources or the Office of Public Works, to see if one or more of these agencies would be prepared to take the lead in undertaking a geophysical survey at Tara. If there is a willingness by one or more Irish Government agency to undertake further surveys at Tara, [we] would be willing to contribute to the preparation of a survey specification document and may be in a position to contribute to the actual survey work itself."

While waiting to hear back from some of the government agencies in Ireland, I decided to apply what I’d learned from my Tara paper, to the symbols on the two panels of Orthostat 8, Site 14, Knowth. Upon completing this second paper, ‘Petroglyphs, the Bend in the Boyne’, I submitted both to Dr. George Nash, a preeminent Prehistoric rock art specialist. Following is his initial response.

Dated: Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:28:41 +0100 (BST)

“Many thanks for the email. I must admit that I have already read one of your papers and am convinced of what you are saying holds water. I am in Romania at the moment, but on my return I will read through both. I do have a little bit of influence and know of the Tara situation well and the anger from locals and visitors alike. I will make contact within the next week.”

That said, should any members or guests to this website, who happen to be archaeologists or anthropologists, that have any influence within their respective communities and/or the media, please contact me through the email link at the end of the article.

http://www.knowth.com/tara-orthostat.htm

(see also)

http://www.newgrange.com/petroglyphs.htm

The hypothesis raised in ‘Orthostat, the Mound of the Hostages’ was that the symbols on the panel of Orthostat L2 were simply a ‘map’ of the Hill of Tara “as it existed during the late Neolithic Age, nearly 3,000 years prior to the monuments receiving the names they now bear.”

In an effort to confirm my hypothesis, I applied it to the two (2) panels on Orthostat 8, Site 14 at Knowth, in particular the rear panel. In this case, the symbols depict a ‘map’ of the Boyne as it existed centuries prior to the construction of the mounds at Knowth and Newgrange.

http://www.newgrange.com/petroglyphs.htm

Upon completing ‘Petroglyphs, the Bend in the Boyne’, I submitted both papers to Dr. George Nash, a preeminent Prehistoric rock art specialist. Following are his two most recent responses.

Dated: Sat. 5/29/10 2:11 PM

“I have been through both web-papers and I think that what you are saying is worthwhile, especially the idea of mapping each of the Neolithic landscapes - incidentally this is something I have been barking on about since 1997 with my work in Galicia and Southern Sweden. The ideas you promote are as valid as anything else that I have read.”

Dated: Mon. 5/31/10 1:19 PM

“Concerning your web papers. Although you consider yourself not an archaeologist, it should not deter you from spreading your word through the academic community and therefore I would urge you to have a go - your ideas and discussion points for each web paper are as valid as the next person, including those academics who have researched these areas previously. The mapping theory opens up potentially a whole new world, turning sites into landscapes.”

Regards,

George

Dr George Nash
Archaeologist & specialist in Prehistoric and Contemporary art,
P/T @ Department of Archaeology & Anthropology,
University of Bristol,
43 Woodlands Road,
Bristol,
BS8 1UU

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Architecture, Spiru Haret University , Bucharest , Romania and
Senior Researcher at the Museum of Prehistoric Art (Quaternary and Prehistory Geosciences Centre), Macao, Portugal

Email: (deleted)

Email: (deleted)

Telephone: (deleted)

That said, should any members or guests to this website, who happen to be archaeologists or anthropologists, that have any influence within their respective communities and/or the media, please contact me through the email link at the top of the article.

by Farrelly57 - Private Wed Jul 14, 2010 15:18

On the Solstice evening I went to Tara and to get away from the sweltering heat I walked down to the well called Nemnach on the southern slope of the site. I had hoped to sit awhile there, find shade under the ash trees which surround it and drink a small sup from its cool waters as I have always done. When I got there I seen that the well had ran dry.
Later and upon questioning this I was met with a raft of different answers. The café on the hill had ran out of water and the well beside it too. Did this happen before; yes, no, maybe; most people did not know. Even those who lived close by.
It seems that they had not given it all that much thought; that in the end it was only water.
A month later and it has rained plenty but the Nemnach is still dry.
The Nemnach had been flowing long; since Tara was the centre of our world and its name carries echoes of Egypt and the first settlers that made it to here.
It has been mentioned in our ancient writings and the great historian R.S. McAlister in particular has given it much attention. He was controversial, argumentative and it seems a man who went his own way. He left some powerful books though, one being a seminal study on Tara called
“Tara; A Pagan Sanctuary of Ancient Ireland.
In this book and in many other writings he left much for us to ponder on the Nemnach Well.
He seems to say that there was a Goddess living on this site called Mairisiu; she had a strange house on top of a Fairy Sid beside the well which was surrounded by a stone circle.
He also alludes to a reptile or serpent of some sort living in a swamp close to the well and Mairisiu may have been the keeper of this reptile and the well too. That he reconed would explain her lonely ghostly home. Her name appears nowhere else in myth. He wrote too of a stone at Tara, south of Loaighre's mound which was called the Stone of Mata, a stone under where a monster was lain. A similar stone is supposed to be found at New Grange concerning a monster too.
If he was right and from what we have gleamed from other ancient myths from other lands then this serpent may have been an augury and underworld king; a king of Tara too.
In later writings McAlister also alluded to the centre of the Tara Sanctuary as being in the middle of what is today the Mound of the Synod and about a divine child which was supposed to be buried there. He acknowledged he would not find it and that it would be left for the spade to solve.
In that he meant archaeology.
Some years after he died an excavation on the Mound of the Synod in the 1950s revealed the remains of a crouched child in its centre and I have often wondered was there or did anybody make a connection between it and what McAlister had wrote.
I have often wondered too if the snake/s which Saint Patrick was supposed to have banished from Ireland was not in fact the sacred serpent of the Nemnach, which his men killed in an attempt to break the pagan power of Tara for ever?
Similar myths have been told about many old wells, kingdoms and cultures around the world; the best known being the serpent “Python” which lived in the well at Delphi in Greece and how it was killed in an attempt to rob Delphi of its power.
The universal symbol of paganism was always this; a strange unworldly serpent lurking in or rising out of the depths of water. Science tells us today that it was from water that life first emerged on Earth and if for any reason it becomes scarce or disappears then we disappear too.
The Nemnach well now running dry tells us that it is becoming scarce.
Should we not see it as a warning from this old well; from the same source where Mairisiu would have observed her warnings?
She would have taken them to the earth based king based on the Hill and demanded that he put things right, we should do the same.

by Spike Wed Jul 14, 2010 15:55

Speaking as someone who is actually a sheepfarmer, sheep do need water. If the weather is very wet and there is sufficient grass to soak it up, they get their water from that, and may not need access to running water. I have no idea what the weather or grass coverage is like on Tara, so I will defer to those who are there.

I suspect if a farmer is letting animals die on the hill of Tara it is probably a combination of many factors, including thirst. Sheep need constant care and attention and if they are being left to die then the farmer clearly has no clue as to what needs to be done.

Regarding the Chestnut trees, does anyone have any idea if the disease has been formally acknowledged as being here by the department iof agriculture, and if so, how quickly will it spread?

SPIKE

by Tara Tara Tara Wed Jul 14, 2010 18:08

Very interesting stuff there on the Nemnach, thank you it is such a beautiful and magical place. I hope that it will be protected. A study of the wells, springs and aquifers would be an important task which hopefully will be undertaken one day- before it is too late. There are hot springs in the locality too, warm water issuing forth from beneath the earth.

Also the Sean Kier Moriarty stuff, fascinating.

by Farrelly57 - Private Wed Jul 14, 2010 20:03

Yes I brought it to the attention of the Department of Agriculture last year and they asked me to prove it.
All the rest of the many institutes, departements etc I went to just ignored me; that is why this year I took a different approach.
I mass emailed all our politicians and I am getting some responses but; well they are on holiday until October.
So its wait. However if we do not act now and put serious work in now then next year it will be too late for many, many, more trees.
As it is I feel it will be too late anyway.
Trees don't really do it for the Irish anymore; the Fir Bile of lore are gone.

by Biologist. Thu Jul 15, 2010 00:59

It is evolution.
Trees have always been attacked by viruses.

The ones that survive bounce back stronger......usually.
Then the viruses get stronger.
Oh dear.

by Carmel Diviney Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:20

TSPG is now on Facebook. You are welcome to join us there :)

by Tara Tara Tara Mon Jul 19, 2010 18:50

While the Nemnach is still stagnant there is some water flow further on downstream from where the Nith used to be and is struggling, but it is still far from back to normal. Thankfully the heavy rains are helping but keep an eye on it.

by Tara Tara Tara Tue Jul 20, 2010 11:35

Hill of Tara Archaeologogical Walk 'n Talks

by Tara Walker Tue Aug 17, 2010 15:26

Thought you'd like to see what the sheep are drinking now. Seems the farmer put this trough in after the complaints were made and it hasn't been cleaned out since. The water is home to maggots and God knows what else. It's filthy and stinks. No shame.

by Tara Tara Tara Thu Aug 19, 2010 13:39

For anyone who dosnt think this is important, just think of Rath Lugh with no trees.

'Sudden death' blight threat to our forests
Killer fungus from US could wipe out ancient oaks

By Aideen Sheehan

Wednesday August 18 2010

IRELAND'S trees are under attack from a deadly disease, which experts have warned poses a huge threat to Irish biodiversity.

The Native Woodland Trust said yesterday's confirmation that a fungal disease sometimes known as 'Sudden Oak Death' had spread to Ireland could be a disaster for the country's few remaining native forests.

The fungal disease has been likened to Dutch Elm Disease, which wiped out millions of trees across Ireland and Europe in the 1970s.

The Department of Agriculture confirmed yesterday that it was investigating an outbreak of the fungal disease phytophthora ramorum, which so far has affected a small number of Japanese larch trees in the Tipperary/Waterford region.

Beech trees growing in close proximity to the diseased larch trees had also been infected, as had two noble fir trees.

The department said the disease had also been found in Northern Ireland and it was liaising closely with the North's Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"The department is taking all necessary measures to establish the extent of the infection and control the spread of the disease," it said in a statement.

The disease is a fungus-like organism which causes trees to bleed a thick red sap, and can damage and kill them.

It spread from the US, where it killed millions of trees, into Britain and then reached Ireland.

Japanese larch trees represent 3pc of the total forest tree population in Ireland, and can produce billions of spores which have the potential to spread the disease widely, with felling of infected trees the only way to eradicate it.

Susceptible

Native Woodland Trust Director Jim Lawlor said an outbreak of this fungus, which is related to the potato blight, could pose a particular threat to Ireland's precious remaining oak forests if Irish oaks proved susceptible to the strain.

"It is not just the oak trees themselves that are at risk, it is all the insects and birds that they support," he said.

"It could change the entire landscape if it spreads."

A good example is the spotted woodpecker; it became extinct in Ireland before re-establishing itself in Wicklow National Park, but would not survive if the oak trees that hosted it succumbed to disease.

Just 0.1pc of Ireland's native woodlands still survive, so it would be a disaster if this disease spread to the remaining oak trees.

The eradication of all mature elms in the last century showed the impact tree diseases could have on the landscape, Mr Lawlor said.

He called on the authorities to step up the removal of rhododendron from woodlands as a priority as they were a "complete pest" to other species.

This new disease could also have a serious economic impact on the forestry industry as it could spread like wildfire among plantations of single species, Mr Lawlor said.

The department said wood from infected trees could be used in the normal way if the necessary hygiene measures were taken when felling and in sawmills.

- Aideen Sheehan

Irish Independent

by Tara Tara Tara Wed Aug 25, 2010 10:04

We really are in trouble now and yet again the inept Irish Govt did NOTHING.

Oak forests at risk from ‘killer tree fungus’
By Ciaran Murphy

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

OAK forests in the south-east are at risk, a Co Waterford senator warned yesterday amid concerns of a "killer tree fungus" heading to Ireland.

Fine Gael’s Senator Paudie Coffey claimed the risk of Sudden Oak Death had fallen on "deaf ears in Government".

He said Ireland is dangerously exposed to the disease.

The party’s Seanad spokesman on the environment said he had tried to highlight the problem over a month ago. The disease is related to potato blight.

In a major outbreak in southern England and Wales, ancient trees were infected and died after being "poisoned by a black fluid", according to Senator Coffey last night.

"Sudden Oak Death not only affects oak trees but also conifers and rhododendrons.

"This killer fungus could do more damage to our landscape than Dutch Elm disease, with gardens also under threat."

He said: "In July, I wanted to raise the threat of Sudden Oak Death as an urgent issue in the Seanad but the Government does not believe anything happens during the summer break when the Oireachtas is on a 12-week holiday.

"The fungus spreads on the roots of popular shrubs like rhododendrons and viburnum [and] as these are imported here by plant nurseries; I urged garden centres to be vigilant.

"As I feared, the Department of Agriculture recently confirmed the fungus had been found in Waterford and Tipperary and, as I warned, it arrived here in the rootstock of imported larch trees."

Senator Coffey called for a campaign where the authorities encouraged hikers who walk in woodland to keep their boots clean.

"The advice being given is not to take mud into forest areas and not to bring it out – it’s the middle of the tourist season here but our Government has been deafeningly silent on the matter.

"It’s deeply worrying that the first outbreak should hit the south-east region, which has some of Europe’s finest arboretums with great potential for promoting specialist tourism.

"My warning last month gave us four precious weeks to prepare for this challenge – four weeks to mobilise garden centres and plant nurseries and to alert the public to the risk. Those four weeks were thrown away... yet again the country blunders unprepared into a foreseeable crisis.

"There is a pressing need to preserve the oak forest around Portlaw, in the Nire Valley and at Lismore and Dromana on the Blackwater, which is highlighted in Waterford County Council’s Biodiversity Action Plan."

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Wednesday, August 25, 2010

by Tara Tara Tara Sat Aug 28, 2010 10:33

I was listening to Mooney goes Wild yesterday and seems to me that some sort of cover up is going on. What a load of waffle. The Government are far more interested in propping up that banks than the trees. That'll come back to bite them on the ass.

The Curse of Tara...