A History of Irelands Forest and its People 2016..Deforestation Of Ireland .

The myth perpetuated that the English cut down the forest is explained , ( was it the Irish ? or both , or does it matter ) so too is the replacement of native forest with Conifer plantations often called 'forest' in the media in Ireland and across Europe . ( monocrop tree plantations )

[@adhamhmacconchobhair2237]

It's so sad every forest in Ireland is privately owned

[@shaunamcconnoran6007]

well woodland..

[@333ridge]

"Truly we are a forest people without a forest". Great wisdom from Ted.

[@izzzzzz6]

I wonder how many species already went extinct due to ancient deforestation?

[@irriterendenavn]

all of them. the world has already come to the end.

[@jaredbrown2443]

Being American I was under the impression that much of Ireland was forested. Especially due to Irish tales of forest fea. I'm disappointed to find out how little is left.

[@aodhfinn]

One of the lowest percentages of the original ecosystem left inside a territory ..on this planet ...note ..original ...The forest here was Temperate , Oceanic Rainforest ...belonging to a climate very similar to the west coast of North America......( What we have now are plantations ... Christmas tree blocks of dense evergreen commercial tree cropping , a legacy of a impoverished appreciation of the social and environmental value of the real deal which once covered the island ..Come on over and plant a native oak !..)..Thanks for your comment

[@oscarosullivan4513]

Most was felled between the 17th century and early 20th

[@ruthpower4892]

@@oscarosullivan4513 Was the vast majority not felled long before then?

[@riverwolf654]

our forests must be restored

[@shanemcnaoimhin233]

I once heard Oak trees grow for 300 years, live for 300 and die for 300 years, thereabouts

[@theniggets3204]

it's roughly true

[@maxpower1337]

Interesting thanks.

[@roundtowerproductions]

That's fascinating

[@Lalarosealie]

Thank you for making this. This makes me terribly sad.

[@SmoothGefixt]

Very informative! Thanks a lot for your effords!

[@ciaranryan5265]

Concise and informative account. Well done to all involved. Boyles descendants built Chiswick House and surrounding gardens in one of the earliest versions of English Landscape garden. A toy landscape built/planted with the proceeds of environmental destruction.

[@pagantree]

Love this, thanks very much!

[@leoprg5330]

I am a forest owner from CZ, we have our own problems with spruce monoculture replacing native oaks or hawthorns since Marie Therese ages, but I find it fascinating how little both Ireland and UK are doing to protect or restore the natural biodiversity of their forests. In Hungarian step, they are at least planting non native black locust aka pseudoacacia to diversify their grasslands.

[@izzzzzz6]

I think it's because they are planning to double the population in the next 50 years just before half of the land disappears under the ocean. i mean if your going to make money from a society you will push it to it's limits couldn't you? lol

[@mywildireland9083]

excellent informed historical information. I want to meet this person and solve te crisis of our countries forestry and the lie of our green image

[@Ryan-Petre]

Excellent little doc.

[@adamender9092]

Shame on farmers

[@MikeyJMJ]

The farmers are just playing the system the government have made. Blame those with the power to make real change but instead resort to Coillte.

[@dylanduke1075]

@@MikeyJMJ coillte are cowboys

[@DragonsFan.]

I also don't like industrial agriculture they make me feel uncomfortable and depressed, while forests and nature make me happy to exist

[@davidvaughn367]

Fascinating. Ireland seems to have been a precursor to what happened here in America. I think we should all heed the warning of Victor Schauberger, both against deforestation, and its effects on the water cycle, and ultimately the climate, and his warning of the danger of monoculture industrial tree planting. His voice has gone mostly unheard, yet so many of his predictions now seem prophetic.

[@gavincharles8501]

Very interesting , but sad also. Thanks for posting

[@ChantelStays]

Just so so sad.

[@roundtowerproductions]

Brilliant information, what age did the tree in cork end up being estimated at?

[@aodhfinn]

Thanks for that , ...we never did find out the age of that great oak at Macroom , ...I know that Ted had taken acorns from it and are being grown on .

[@roundtowerproductions]

@@aodhfinn I've never collected acorns before for planting but would love to as I'm starting to document the oldest trees I can find on my adventures and that Macroom Oak was absolutely magical. Thanks for sharing, the whole presentation was brilliant. Hoping to get into Raheen woods one day, I was told it was closed to public last time I asked.

[@aodhfinn]

@@roundtowerproductions very sorry to hear that the woods were closed ..I don't know the details but closing contact with really valuable and rare ecosystems such as Raheen goes against the ethos of shifting values away from post modern consumerism , and back to the authentic.

[@Gos1234567]

I remember playing in a few tiny patches of woods near us as a kid,climbing trees,making huts/treehouses,swings,collecting Tory-tops (pine cones in Cork).Great Craic. Now there are all gone from people building houses all over the countryside. Only "woods" are patches of the spruce planations where nothing else grows and you can barely walk though. Have to drive a good distance now to experience a proper woods Makes me sad and angry!!

[@drugfreelifter]

Same thing here in England, the government are letting developers build all over our green belt and ancient woodlands

[@zuzannazmud9043]

So many areas of lawn the host was standing in throughout this documentary that could be fulfilled with trees.

[@TheSweetsOfSin]

Intersting video that answers some of my questions. However: Quote: "Here in 2016 the Island has been almost completely deforested" - This in context of the full video is a bit unclear. The video paints the picture that deforestation has been reversed somewhat since the 1950's. So is there less or more forest since, say, 1900 now. Are there any maps/charts that give an overview of the development?

[@TheSweetsOfSin]

Also this documentary seems to say that forest cover is increasing: kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaTLaK2Yg7Kbl9k

[@aodhfinn]

The island has .02 % of land under its Temperate oceanic rainforest , that forest would feature at the top of the plant kingdom , the Common Irish Oak and the Sessile oak ...and the Ash tree .There are only 16 tree species native to Ireland . The figure of 11% is that of monocrop tree plantation ..The Irish state calls that forest ,as does in general the media here and many Irish people some of whom don't know the difference.. We don't call it forest .because it's a plantation, in the same way that a Palm oil Plantation , is a plantation , put there after the destruction of the forest. Our landscape is indeed a very 'altered' place suffering a monocrop of grass and on ground less profitable for fossil fuel agriculture and often on higher ground , there is the tree crop of non native species .

[@TheSweetsOfSin]

In the aforementioned video there is mention of the adoption of more sustainable multi-species plantations on the rise in recent times. Also combined forestry with live stock. Furthermore isn't turning farmland into plantation forest at least some sort of improvement, especially with mixed species plantations. (How many of those are there these days?)

[@aodhfinn]

@@TheSweetsOfSin yes

[@JC-zn7ee]

@@TheSweetsOfSin plantations can fuck off

[@amanb8698]

Having been to Ireland, and having just gotten back from Japan, I couldn't help but notice the similar appreciation for nature the Irish/Celts held much in the same way the Japanese and Ainu do, that I noticed while there, and learned about in my studies. I went to a Shinto shrine with a friend, she showed me how to make offering, and all the matter. They had trees that were 1,000 years old. I am American of mixed European roots, but remarked my Irish and Scottish ancestors did the same on their island, centuries ago, worshipped the spirits in the forests, in the land, in the animals. Animism was a Celtic Gaelic tradition. The destruction of these ancient forests hurts on a soul level, land is sacred, even if it's not connected to your ancestors. I could sense Fuji sans energy, it's majesty, it's power, when I was near it. The ancient Gaels living in Ireland who are the ancestors of todays Irish and Scottish peoples, had sacred beliefs in the land, and the power of nature.