Coole Park

'Pathway to the Lake' at Coole Park, Gort Co Galway   Oil on Canvas

These eighteen, 80 year old trees at Coole Park, Gort, have been felled because they posed a “serious risk” to public safety.

The Monterey cypress trees were felled at the former home of Lady Augusta Gregory on advice from expert arborists who found that the trees could fail at any time without warning, and posed a serious risk to public safety.

Some of the trees were infected by a type of bracket fungus called Ganoderma applanatum, but this was not the only reason for their removal, according to the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

“The trees were in very poor condition. The crowns of the trees were very damaged and in these cases, failure of the roots or falling branches is not uncommon in this species,” said a spokesperson.

http://www.galwayindependent.com/20140911/news/historic-trees-felled-due-to-public-safety-risk-S43837.html