Forestry is a significant industry in Ireland, supporting an estimated 9,400 direct and indirect jobs,[1] and contributing over €2 billion to the economy.[2] Despite this, the country has one of the lowest rates of forest cover in the European Union, at 11.6% in 2022,[note 1] however this is a significant increase from less than 2% at the beginning of the 20th century,[note 2] and is the highest level in over 350 years.[4][5]
The total forest area of country was 808,848 hectares in 2022, an increase from 697,842 hectares in 2006. 50.9% of forests are in private ownership (411,484 ha), with the remainder (397,364 ha or 49.1%) in public ownership (mainly Coillte); this is an increase of the share of forests in private ownership by over 7.9% since 2006. In 2022, broadleaf tree species made up 30.6% of forest cover, an increase of 5.9% since 2006, however conifer species remained dominant at 69.4%.[6][7]
History
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Neolithic
[edit]Following the last Ice Age, 80% of Ireland was covered in forests.[8] The arrival of Neolithic farmers in Ireland resulted in the widespread clearance of the island's (mainly deciduous) forests to create land for farming and settlements, however when soil fertility was exhausted farmers would cultivate another area of land and forests were allowed to regrow.[9][10]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Review and Outlook for Forestry 2026". Teagasc. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Forestry and wood sectors worth more than €2 billion annually to economy according to new COFORD study". Government of Ireland. 12 April 2025. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Forests, forestry and logging - Statistics Explained". Eurostat. 8 January 2026. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Ecosystem Conservation Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 15 Life on Land 2022". Central Statistics Office (Ireland). 7 December 2022. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Forestry Facts and News". Government of Ireland. 10 December 2025. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "4th National Forest Inventory completed in 2022 (excerpt)". Tree Council of Ireland. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "Forest Statistics Ireland 2022" (PDF). Teagasc. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 November 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "A brief history of Ireland's native woodlands". Coillte. 19 October 2020. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "What did the Neolithic landscape look like?" (PDF). National Museums NI. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
- ↑ "A Historical View of Woodlands in Ireland". Teagasc. 31 December 2021. Archived from the original on 3 June 2026. Retrieved 3 June 2026.
See also
[edit]
Notes
[edit]- ↑ In 2023, forest cover in the European Union was 38.2%.[3]
- ↑ The forest cover of the Irish state was 1.4% at its foundation in 1922.
- O'Carroll, Niall (2004). Forestry in Ireland: A Concise History (PDF). COFORD. ISBN 9781902696379.
- Neeson, Eoin (1991). A History Of Irish Forestry. The Lilliput Press. ISBN 9781843514381.
- McMahon, Paul (2023). Island of Woods: How Ireland Lost Its Forests and how to Get Them Back. New Island Books. ISBN 9781848408807.
External Links
[edit]- Coillte
- Forestry.ie
- Forestry in Ireland, Government of Ireland
- Global Forest Watch – map of tree cover gain/loss
- The Society of Irish Foresters
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