Professional Documents
Culture Documents
in Ireland: An Overview
Compiled by: Emmet Byrnes, Archaeologist, Forest Service
Edited by: Declan Little, Woodlands of Ireland
Any attempt to develop a management plan aimed at This Native Woodland Scheme Information Note offers
conserving and restoring an existing native woodland an overview of the history of woodland management
must take full account of all of the factors contributing to in Ireland, from the arrival of people to this island up
its current status and condition. These include underlying until the early 20th century. It describes how and for
factors such as soil, elevation and climate, the woodland’s what purpose woodlands were managed, and also how
ecology and natural dynamics, threats such as invasive woodlands were mismanaged and exploited. It describes
exotic species and excessive deer numbers, and also the the historical decline of Ireland’s native woodland cover,
aspirations of the owner regarding, for example, wood and the reasons behind this. It also highlights clues still
production. Another key factor that cannot be ignored present in the Irish landscape, such as archaeological
is the former management of the woodland, not only features and placenames, that can give us an insight
in recent times, but also down through the centuries. into how woodlands were managed in centuries passed.
This is due to the fact that the historical management This note strongly complements the Native Woodland
of a wood has a major impact on its current species Scheme Information Note 1: Cartographic and Historical
composition, age structure and other key attributes. Sources for Native Woodlands, helping those involved
in developing plans for both existing and new native
woodlands under the Native Woodland Scheme to take
full account of key historical information.
INTRODUCTION
From the time of the first human presence through the centuries to the present. 1997). The interruption of woodland
in Ireland, native woodlands on this island As a result of these activities, the range continuity has also had a significant
were exploited for wood and for food of species and the age structure of most impact on woodland ecology and
for both humans and animals. Overall, of the surviving ancient woodland succession (Garrett & O’Sullivan, 2001).
the factor having the greatest impact fragments left on the island are as When all of these factors are considered,
on forest cover was the removal of trees much a product of successive episodes an assessment of past exploitation and
for agricultural land, which began in of human management as they are of management should inform future
the Neolithic Period and continued down soils, aspect and climate (Aalen et al., management decisions.
Fig.1: Bowl barrows which date to the Bronze Age may be encountered in old From 5,000 to 4,000 BC, the percentage
woodlands and the appropriate measures should be adopted to ensure that they are of the Irish landscape under tree cover
not damaged during forest operations. This barrow is located at Carrowreagh, Co. Laois. continued to rise. The taller deciduous
(Photo courtesy of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government). species – particularly oak – became
increasingly dominant, but the proportion
of alder also rose significantly as Scots
pine went into decline. Alder was
especially suited to periodically or
permanently flooded areas, such as
the fringes of lower wetlands, where
the wet conditions enabled the species
to establish large colonies. Many of
these colonies subsequently evolved into
fen woodland (Mitchell & Ryan, 1997).
2 m high was built. After this, the stack for cooperage in Derry, Cork and The full story probably falls somewhere
was covered by straw, grass, bracken and Wexford. This industry required between both hypotheses, and simplistic
turfs, followed by dust and ashes left over large numbers of wooden staves to models will not suffice. In any case, any
from previous burns. Finally, red-hot coals manufacture wine casks and other appreciable areas of forest still extant in
were dropped down the flue, and once barrels, and in tandem with iron-working, Ireland in 1600 AD were gone by 1800 AD
the stack was alight the flue was sealed. has been cited by both contemporary (Neeson, 1995). From the mid 18th century
To ensure the stack burned consistently, the and later sources as one of the major onwards, many large landowners, especially
‘colliers’ remained in constant attendance, contributing factors in the decline of those on estates and demesnes, were
sealing up any holes that appeared in the native Irish woodland in the early encouraged to improve their lands by
turf covering or moving wind breaks to 17th century (McCracken, 1971). planting trees, and did so hoping also to
prevent excessive burn on the side of the gain a long term economic benefit from
prevailing wind (Jones, 2003). By the time of the death of Elizabeth I their managed exploitation. The change
in 1603 AD, tree cover in Ireland was in aesthetic tastes away from manicured
In addition to the use of coppiced wood diminished to the extent that, according gardens to ‘landscape parks’ also resulted
in ironworks, other demands on native to estimates, woodland cover accounted in the planting of many small woods and
forests in the late 16th and early 17th for no more that 12.5%, and as low as copses. From 1740 AD onwards, the Royal
century included the glass-working and 2%, of the land area. At the same time, Dublin Society awarded prizes and medals
cooperage industries, and shipbuilding. both merchant and naval shipbuilding, for planting trees, and also nominated
It is thought that glass-working was less although never practiced on the scale it suitable species. In total, an estimated
dependent on fuel wood as ironworks, was in Britain, also increased in Ireland. 53,000 ha were planted in private
but ash trees were especially important Timber for ships was exported to England woodlands in the 18th century.
for the alkali. Major glassworks were from Waterford in 1608 AD, and the East
built at Birr, Co. Offaly, and there are India Company is known to have established
other townlands in the county whose a yard at Dundaniel in Cork some time
names are derived from ‘glasshouses’. before 1613 AD (Neeson, 1995).
There is extensive documentary evidence
Initially the bulk of the trees planted were When determining current and future
broadleaves, with a particular emphasis management requirements of individual
on oak. However, as the century wore on, woodlands, it is important to ascertain
an increasing proportion of coniferous as far as possible the woodland history,
trees were planted. By 1841 AD, some as this will have a bearing on the detailed
140,000 ha had been planted, with management plan. Although it is not
conifers representing some 7% and feasible to account for many of the
mixed plantations 80%. This process of most important historical activities
‘coniferisation’ of woodlands continued to have impacted on any particular
into the early 20th century, and many of woodland, any evidence of human impact
the remaining demesne woodlands were (such as management, felling, coppicing,
either extended or replaced with what the construction of ditches, etc.) should
was regarded at the time as being more be noted and used to determine the most
desirable exotic species (Aalen et al., 1997). appropriate management prescription.
Aalen, F.H.A., Whelan, K. and Stout, M. 1997. Atlas of the Irish Rural Landscape. Cork University Press.
Cooney, G. and Grogan, E. 1994. Irish Prehistory: A Social Perspective, pp. 9. Wordwell, Dublin.
Edwards, N. 1990. Early Medieval Ireland, pp. 75-77. Batsford, London.
Eogan, E. and Kilfeather, A. 1997. Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow, pp. 203. Stationery Office, Dublin.
Feehan, J. 2003. Farming in Ireland. History, Heritage and Environment. Walsh Printers, Tipperary.
Flanagan, D., and Flanagan, L., 2002. Irish Place Names. Gill and Macmillan, Dublin.
Garrett, W. and O’Sullivan, A. 2001. Coillte Old Woodland Survey – July 2001. The Irish Scientist Yearbook 2001.
Oldbury Publishing, Dublin.
Gowen, M. 1988. Three Irish Gas Pipelines: New Archaeological Evidence in Munster. Wordwell, Dublin.
Hakan, S. 2003. Estimate of the Swedish leaf-hay harvest. Pre-published Proceedings of the Working and Walking in the
Footsteps of Ghosts Conference, pp. 83. Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield.
Hencken, H. 1942. Ballinderry crannóg no. 2. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy 47C: 1-76.
Hencken, H. 1950. Lagore crannóg: An Irish royal residence of the seventh century A.D. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy
53C:1-248.
Jones, M. 1993. Sheffield’s Woodland Heritage. Wildlife Publishing, Sheffield.
Logue, P. 2003. Excavations at Thornhill, Co. Londonderry. In: I. Armit, E. Murphy, E. Nelis and D. Simpson (eds.),
Neolithic Settlement in Ireland and Western Britain, 149-156. Oxbow Books, Oxford.
MacCoitir, N. 2003. Irish Trees: Myths, Legends and Folklore. The Collins Press, Cork.
Maloney, A., Jennings, D., Keane, M. and McDermott, C. 1993a. Survey of the Raised Bogs of County Longford.
Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit, Transactions 1. Crannóg Publication, Dublin.
Maloney, A., Jennings, D., Keane, M. and McDermott, C. 1993b. Excavations at Clonfinlough County Offaly.
Irish Archaeological Wetland Unit, Transactions 2. Crannóg Publication, Dublin.
McCracken, E. 1971. Irish Woods Since Tudor Times. David and Charles, Newton Abbot.
McNeill, I. 1990. An Encyclopaedia of the History of Technology, pp. 146-149. Routledge, London.
Mitchell, G.F. and Ryan, M. 1997. Reading the Irish Landscape. Town House, Dublin.
Neeson, E. 1995. A History of Irish Forestry. Lilliput Press, Dublin.
O’Sullivan, A. 1997. Last foragers or first farmers? Archaeology Ireland 40:16-8.
O’Sullivan, A. 2001. Foragers, Farmers in a Coastal Landscape. Discovery Programme/Royal Irish Academy, pp. 71-72. Dublin.
Peterken, G.F. 1996. Natural Woodland. Ecology and Conservation in Northern Temperate Regions. Cambridge University Press.
Purcell, A. 2002. Excavation of Three Neolithic Houses at Corbally, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare. Journal of Irish Archaeology XI, 31-76.
Rackham, O. 1995. Tress and Woodland in the British Landscape. Weidenfield and Nicholson, London.
Rackham, O. 2001. The History of the Countryside, pp. 116-129. Phoenix Press, London.
Raftery, B. 1994. Pagan Celtic Ireland. Thames and Hudson, London.
Scott, B.G. 1991. Early Irish Iron working, pp. 153. Ulster Museum, Belfast.
Smith, C. 1992. Late Stone Age Hunters of the British Isles, pp. 110. Routledge, London.
Trinder, B. 1992. The Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Industrial Archaeology, pp. 91. Blackwell, London.