Maguire family back campaign urging landowners to maintain roadside trees

The parents of a young Ballymore woman who died last Christmas after a roadside tree fell on her car have backed a new campaign urging farmers to take better care of the trees on their land.

On December 18 2013, 23-year-old Aisling Maguire passed away from injuries sustained when an ash tree fell on her car on the outskirts of Mullingar at Grange South. The tree in question was covered in ivy, which compromised its stability. It subsequently emerged that residents living in Grange South first contacted the council in 2010 to voice their concerns about the safety of the tree.

Spurred on by Ms Maguire’s untimely death, Fine Gael councillors Peter Burke and Tom Farrell want the council to introduce a new initiative to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining trees on roadsides. The idea was first mooted at a council meeting held last week.

“We want to devise a policy to create awareness among all landowners that if there are dangerous trees on your land that are in close proximity to a road, a huge hazard may lie on your land. And that it is your responsibility legally to get rid of that hazard.

“Many of the trees with ivy on them appear to be fine on the outside but when you cut into them the inside is rotten. This creates an additional responsibility on landowners to ensure that they don’t have dangerous trees along roadsides on their properties.” Cllr Burke said.

Cllr Farrell, who has already had discussions with the IFA about a possible partnership on the initiative, would like to see the new campaign eventually rolled out nationwide.

“We are trying to make this a national thing. No matter where you drive nowadays there is danger from trees. This is step one and we are very grateful of the support of the Maguire family.”

“With strong winds the ivy is a wind blocker, it is same as a cement wall, it hits and something has to give. The way the Irish weather has gone, it could be calm in one place and 10 miles down the road there could be a storm. Our aim long term is that if you travel the motorways of Ireland there are no trees, I know it’s not going to happen overnight but I think the main roads at least should be tree free,” he said.

Speaking to the Westmeath Examiner last spring, Mullingar tree surgeon John Lynch outlined the danger of letting ivy grow on trees.
“The problem with a tree covered with ivy is they’re storing up water, and become heavy, and the trees can be rotten underneath.”