We’re in the Middle of a Tree-Hugging Extravaganza

Preparing the Way: from left: John Houlihan, John Paul Fitzgerald, James O'Connor, Willie Reidy, John Lenihan  and Joanne O'Sullivan, Rural Social Scheme Supervisor. ©Photograph: John Reidy  18/02/2009
Preparing the Way: from left: John Houlihan, John Paul Fitzgerald, James O’Connor, Willie Reidy, John Lenihan and Joanne O’Sullivan, Rural Social Scheme Supervisor.
©Photograph: John Reidy 18/02/2009

Pardon my presumption but I bet you didn’t know that we’re right in the middle of a tree-hugging extravaganza and that it’s branching out all over Ireland.
I wouldn’t have twigged it myself only for getting a message from John Lenihan about his favourite, local tree.
Off I went to the files to root out a photograph of him and his team when they were developing the wonderful Glanageenty Wood and emerged with one from early 2009.
John Lenihan has put forward a tree there for a competition where the winner will represent Ireland in next year’s Tree of the Year Award.
Voting in the National Tree Hugging 2015 Contest commenced on Wednesday 21st October. The voting switch was flicked on the website at 12 noon on that day and voting will continue until midnight on Friday week, November 13th.
Among the ways of promoting your entry and getting votes is to broadcast it on FACEBOOK, Twitter and any other social media you can.
John Lenihan describes his entry thus: “The King of the Forest, a giant oak tree, standing proudly near my home at Bothar an Iarla, Glanageenty, Ballymacelligott in Kerry is my perfect tree. As a child growing up in this magical place it gave me all the emotions of youth and joy when I climbed it and tears when I fell from it.
“This tree is an important historic landmark. Beneath its lofty structure stands the Earl of Desmond monument marking the spot where history tells us that Gerald, the last Earl of Desmond, died and his body cast beneath an old oak tree.”  You can vote for John’s tree when you click on the link here: