O’Connell Street tree ‘badly burnt’ during Dublin riots must be cut down
The tree on O'Connell Street which will now have to be cut down
A tree on Dublin’s O’Connell Street, which was badly burnt during riots last November, will have to be cut down over public safety fears.
The 40ft London Plane tree was one of two damaged when a bus and a Luas tram were set alight during the night of widespread chaos in the city centre on November 23.
The riots began after the stabbing of three children on Parnell Street earlier that day.
Unfortunately, Dublin city councillors have been told that the damage to one of those trees is too extensive, necessitating its removal. The second tree will continue to be monitored.
“It is the park’s policy to carry out renovation works on damaged or diseased trees and to only remove trees as a last resort, or where the tree poses a Health and Safety Risk,” Dublin City Council Tree Officer Ludovic Beaumont said.
The tree in question is just over 20 years old, located on the west side of the street near Parnell Square, directly across from The Gresham Hotel.
There is no set date for the tree’s removal, but once the process is complete, the roots will need to die back and be removed before a new tree is planted.
The tree was damaged during rioting in the city centre last November
“Ideally, it is prudent to wait about a year before planting a new tree in the same location a tree was removed from,” Mr Beaumont added.
The Parks department and tree officer say they will assess the existing tree pits for the suitability of new trees and will update the council on a plan for their replacement when this is carried out during the coming year.
The other tree that sustained damage from the night of the riots is being monitored and may also face being felled due to health and safety concerns.
Green Party councillor Janet Horner said it is “awful to see more trees being felled” in the city because of criminal damage.
“Our trees are such an important part of our streets and offer many benefits to the city - cleaning the air, reducing noise, enhancing the beauty of our streets, and providing vital connections to nature,” she said.
She added that while the council will attempt to replace the tree, a new and young tree can never replace the value of a “mature tree” to the city.
“We need to regard our trees, particularly mature trees, as important assets to the city, part of our natural heritage, and do everything we can to protect them.”
Unfortunately, she also highlighted that replacing trees lost due to criminal damage, disease, and weather events is an “expensive and difficult job” for Dublin City Council.
