Locals in the village of Quin have expressed their surprise after the removal of what they refer to as an ‘iconic’ tree in the last number of days.
Located at the top of the village, the tree was often the first monument passed when locals were on their way home from Ennis.
It’s believed a safety issue led to Clare County Council taking the decision to remove thr tree, which had become diseased after being in the village for around a century.
Local resident Ger O Halloran says they’re hopeful a replacement can be planted in consultation with locals.
Clare County Council Statement:
“Clare County Council had been monitoring this tree through inspections since 2019 and had been aware of its deteriorating nature. However, the latest inspection that was carried out in recent weeks by an independent arborist company highlighted significant additional decay, which required action by Clare County Council. The tree was infected with Ganoderma, resulting in substantial rot and many hollow cavities within it. This put the tree at risk of catastrophic failure. Due to its position at the edge of a busy junction, the Killaloe Municipal District had no choice but to act upon this health and safety matter and remove this tree so as to prevent it from falling onto the public roads. The extent of the severe rot was exposed and on view during the tree’s removal on Friday 26th February. The municipal district will liaise with the Quin Tidy Towns Committee to ensure that an agreeable solution in relation to replacement planting at this location is reached.”
