Nature trails in the west and northwest of Ireland were worst hit by Storm Éowyn, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has said as its clean-up operation continues more than three weeks after the record-breaking weather event.
A spokesperson for the agency said “significant impacts” were seen across Connemara and Glenveagh national parks, with the Donegal park’s native oak woodland losing hundreds of trees, including mature oaks, birch and holly.
Glenveagh Castle Gardens, on the shores of Lough Beagh, also saw substantial damage to its 1,700-species-strong plant collection, with many old and fine specimens of pine, spruce, cedar and fir either damaged or felled by the storm.
The 11-hectare gardens, which date back to the 1880s, also suffered the loss of their tallest tree, a coniferous pinus nigra species, commonly known as a black pine, along with a rare species of flowering shrub called a trochodendron.
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“Due to safety concerns from fallen and hanging branches, some areas of Glenveagh remain closed while we work to clear trails and gardens”, the spokesperson said.
Coniferous trees are more likely to be brought down in winter storms than deciduous, as their all-year-round foliage increases wind resistance and makes them top-heavy.
Connemara national park’s mixed woodlands have also been affected, with the 500m Ellis Wood Nature Trail remaining closed until further notice.
A popular 77-hectare woodland managed by the NPWS near Tuam, Knockma Wood, has sustained “extensive damage”, and its 6km of trails are currently closed.
“We are clearing fallen trees [from Knockma Wood], but extensive damage to the woodland structure requires further assessment”, the spokesperson said. The State agency aims to reopen the site on Tuesday, February 18th.
Nature reserves managed by the NPWS, including Coole Park in Co Galway and Dromore Woods in Co Clare, saw a “very large number of fallen and hanging trees”, which are also in the process of being cleared.
The majority of both reserves have reopened to the public, but some trails are fenced off while tree surgery and other repair works take place.
“Whilst these works continue, there will be localised closures to trails and disturbance to users of our national parks and nature reserves. The NPWS appreciates the public’s continued co-operation during these closures,” the spokesperson said, noting that clean-up work could be ongoing for months.
Several trails in Co Mayo’s Wild Nephin National Park, including Vary’s Loop and a section of the Western Way, were previously blocked by fallen trees following the storm, but these have since been cleared and are publicly accessible again.
Storm Éowyn made landfall in Ireland early on January 24th, and swept northwards over the country as the day progressed. It broke Irish wind speed records, registering gusts of up to 184km/h in counties Donegal and Galway.
