Fingal to hand out 16,000 trees this National Tree Week

To help celebrate this year’s National Tree Week, Fingal County Council has announced plans to distribute 16,000 trees to residents across the county, as well as hosting a number of community planting events.

The initiative will give people the chance to choose a tree of their own to plant during the week which runs from 21- 27 March.

Trees will be made available at four key hubs in Fingal, details of which will be announced shortly.

The free tree giveaway is part of the council’s plan to create a “greener and healthier Fingal for future generations,” the local authority said.

“A canopy of trees added across the county will help to deliver a thriving, diverse and sustainable tree population.”

The council first ran the initiative in Ardgillan Demesne in 2019 and the community response was “overwhelming,” it says.

While it set aside around 1,500 trees for collection, such was the interest in the scheme that the council ended up distributing over 7,500 trees to members of the public.

Councillor Seána Ó Rodaigh, Mayor of Fingal said: “The council is committed to helping boost one of the most important natural assets we have in the fight against climate change.

“The distribution and planting of 16,000 trees will go some way to helping us develop a thriving, diverse and sustainable tree population in Fingal in line with the county’s sustainable urban development.”

Kevin Halpenny, Fingal County Council’s Senior Parks Superintendent commented: “We manage some 2,000 hectares of public open space, of which a large proportion are heritage landscapes, defined in many respects by woodlands and trees.

“The planting of 16,000 additional trees across Fingal will help ensure the greater environmental resilience of the county for generations.”

The trees provided will be for residents to plant within their own property and they will be encouraged to commemorate the occasion and share on the council’s social media channels.