Mullingar Great Tree Planting Project rooted in for future

The benefits of the Mullingar Tidy Towns plan to plant 3,000 trees across the town will be felt for generations to come.

That’s according to the chair of the Tidy Towns committee Bill Collentine, who was speaking at a recent tree planting event in Bellview Heights.

The trees will eventually form a green belt around Mullingar. Research has shown that planting trees has numerous benefits, including helping slow down the effects of climate change and improving social well-being.

Bill Collentine says that the Mullingar Great Tree Planting Project, a collaboration between Mullingar Tidy Towns, Crann and Coillte, has been well received locally, and trees have been planted in several estates and green spaces around the town.

“It is great to see trees being sown again. A lot of trees fell during Storm Éowyn. One good thing to come from that is that it has made many people more aware of the importance of trees.

“People appreciate what is happening here, in Mullingar, and across the country. They also realise that we need to sow trees, especially for the future generations.“

Oak saplings were planted in Bellview Heights recently on the same plot of land home to some of Mullingar’s oldest trees, which it is believed could be almost 250 years old.

Crann’s PJ Fitzpatrick says that initiatives like the Mullingar Great Tree Planting Project are important for environmental and social reasons. In Bellview Heights, the new saplings will eventually replace the ancient oaks that dominate the skyline in that part of the town.

PJ believes that older oaks were part of the first large-scale tree planting project ever undertaken in Ireland.

“The RDS gave out trees between 1766 and 1803, and I think some of these trees were planted then. If that is the case, then we have something unique here.

“This high bank, where the oaks are, is visible from many parts of the town, and it would be a shame to lose that because some of the trees are reaching a vulnerable age.“

This is the third round of tree planting by Mullingar Tidy Towns in Bellview Heights in the space of a year. The most recent round occurred just before Easter, and some of the children in the estate were on hand to learn about the importance of trees from PJ and his fellow Crann member James Lowry, who is also a member of the Bellview Heights Residents Association. The children were also the very grateful recipients of Easter eggs courtesy of Mullingar Tidy Towns.

James says he and his neighbours are happy to support the Mullingar Great Tree Planting Project.

“As a resident of Bellview and a Crann member, it’s just great to see a community evening of tree planting that’s both educational and fun for us all in the neighbourhood, especially the brilliant children who came out to explore their local oak trees’ habitat and ecosystem this evening.

“We are extremely grateful to PJ Fitzpatrick of Crann and John Bawle of Tidy Towns who do so much great work for the nature and people of the town we love.”