Community plants over 5,000 trees in Laois town

The community in Abbeyleix has come together to plant over 5,000 trees for National Tree Week. 

In total, 5,062 trees/saplings were planted in and around the town. The icing on the cake was the planting of a new lime avenue at the entrance to South School.

Under the supervision of Principal Joanne Jackson, the pupils of South School lined out in force on March 4 to complete the planting of the new lime avenue. Small Leaved Lime (Tilia cordata) is a characteristic feature of the heritage town and these young trees - planted by the community's youngest members - will provide successors for the existing veteran trees.

Secretary of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, Mary White paid tribute to Canon Harvey and the Select Vestry of the Church of St Michael and All Angels for their engagement on the project and to Aubrey Nuzum for his generous contribution. 

The Lime tree project ties in neatly with an ambition of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns to establish more trees into public and private spaces around the town. In the run up to National Tree Week, 5,000 native trees were also distributed to local gardens, sports facilities, smallholdings and farms in a joint initiative with Trees on the Land (coordinated locally by Brian Gaynor).

Other tree related projects delivered this planting season includes our ongoing orchard initiative which saw a linear mixed fruit orchard (18 traditional variety fruit trees) established on the Mountrath Rd by First Ireland Spirits. Six "mini orchards" (five mixed fruit varieties each) were also established in private gardens around the town (This orchard project was kindly supported by the DCs for Bees Pollinator Programme).

Chairman of Abbeyleix Tidy Towns, Robbie Quinn said, “the Abbeyleix Tree Project is part of a combined Biodiversity, climate action and placemaking initiative, which is seeing the gradual transformation of Abbeyleix into a more sustainable community”. He added, “with over 10,000 trees planted in this decade so far, progress is certainly being made.”

To find out more about this project visit: https://www.abbeyleixtidytowns.net/ or follow us on Facebook @abbeyleix