THE

Irish ForesterTHE NEWSLETTER OF THE SOCIETY OF IRISH FORESTERS WINTER 2015

The forestry sector received a significantboost in Budget 2016 which containedtwo announcements of interest to forest

owners and investors. The forestry programmereceived an allocation of €113.8m for thecoming year and the announcement thatforestry income has been removed from the'High Income Earners Restriction’ (HIER)category was warmly welcomed.

Referring to the removal of forestry incomefrom HIER for forest owners, Tom Hayes,Minister of State with responsibility forforestry said: “I believe that this is a veryprogressive move, the benefits of which will befelt long into the future.” The removal offorestry from HEIR has restored the tax-freestatus of forestry to its pre-2007 position.

The removal of forestry from HIER isimportant, maintained Minister Hayes.“Forestry is of major economic importance inrural Ireland, as well as providing social andrecreational benefits,” he said. “Forestry also

plays a vital role environmentally in terms ofcarbon sequestration, the potential of biomassenergy and the preservation of biodiversity andnatural habitats.”

A Department spokesperson said that profitfrom forestry is now tax exempt for “activefarmers and foresters” presumably includingforest owners. Society President, Niall Farrellywelcomed the Minister's announcement. “Hedeserves congratulations in restoring taxexemption which is a major boost to thesector,” he said. “It is an acknowledgement ofthe long-term nature of forestry and is also arecognition of the benefits of forestry inrelation to sustainable development and climatechange.”

“The Department of Agriculture, Food and theMarine has secured €113.8m for the ForestryProgramme in 2016, which will provide for ex-isting premium payments and support the plant-ing of approximately 7,000 hectares of newforests” said Minister Hayes.

Message from the President

We are coming to the close ofanother busy and successfulyear for the Society of Irish

Foresters. Once again the Society, inassociation with the Wood MarketingFederation, organised a well receivedforestry conference. I am delighted tosee the return of the Society’s ‘annualconferences’ as they go a long waytowards providing a professional forumfor forestry in Ireland. The Society hasalso become increasingly active indeveloping international links with ourfellow professionals in the UK and inFrance.

Another high-point of the year was ourstudy tour which visited the Aquitaineregion of France. Based in Bordeaux,the tour was hosted by EFI-Atlantic,INRA (Pierroton) and CRPF whichrepresents the powerful private forestrysector in that region. Participants weregreatly impressed with the level ofresearch based initiatives (see page 2)being undertaken and by theprofessionalism of a vibrant forestrysector which currently employs 48,000people. Forestry is ranked as the thirdmost important industry in the region’seconomy; it is surpassed only by thewine making and tourism industries.

As 2015 draws to a close, I would liketo thank the members of the Society fortheir support and assistance during theyear, especially those members whohelped on our many sub-committeesand other initiatives. I wish all ourmembers and their families a veryhappy and peaceful Christmas and aprosperous New Year.

Dr. Niall FarrellyPresident

Niall Farrelly, President ofthe Society, presents theHonorary Membershipmedal to John J. Gardiner,Emeritus Professor ofForestry at UniversityCollege Dublin, inrecognition of his verysignificant contribution toforestry education inIreland.

In October 2013, ProfessorGardiner delivered theAnnual Sean Mac Bridelecture ‘Celebrating 100years of the Department ofForestry at UCD’.

Emeritus Professor John J. Gardiner ishonoured by Society

Forestry income tax exemptionis restored in Budget 2016Minister’s removal of forestry from 'High Earners Restriction’ iswarmly received

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New and enhanced powers of access to Irish Forestry

A forest research lesson from the French

Having spent some considerable time during thelast few years preparing and updating a paper-based index for Irish Forestry, it hasn’t been loston me how quickly a few issues can generate alot of material. As a result, it has been of frequentirritation to know that there is an article some-where which answers a particular question; tohave a vague feeling that I remembered it fromsuch a year and inevitably, to be forced to leafthrough reams of pages to track down the elusivepiece. So, in a moment of weakness, driven pri-marily by a selfish requirement to compensatefor a poor memory, I naively accepted the taskof building a digital and openly available archiveof journal material. Many months later the taskis all but complete, though I realise there arebound to be some teething problems, so I hopeif any member generates some particularly sur-prising results they might communicate the issueto the Society’s office.

For some years the Society has had digital scansof all issues available on its website. Howeverit was not possible to search effectively throughall content back to 1943 from a single accesspoint. Nor was it possible for Google to do it forus since whole-issue pdf files are opaque to suchsearches. Consequently the first step was to sliceup the entire back catalogue of issues into singlearticle files. This mass of material was then care-fully described and categorised with suitablemetadata to allow a database to access andsearch through the material. Following thiseverything was ‘sewn’ back together and loadedonto a new digital platform, to be accessed from

a portal on the Society’s new website. This mam-moth task was tackled bravely by a crack teamof summer intern students who laboured relent-lessly for many weeks. I am very grateful to theladies who took on this work with such tirelesscare and aplomb. Led by Danielle Lopes, theteam included Julie Bibaud-Alves, Claire Cor-saint, Auxane Gennetais, Fanny Meynieu andThais Farias Pereira da Silva.

I do hope all members will take some time to ex-amine the search function of the new journal site.Under the ‘Archive’ tab, a list of issues will be

found. However, the most interesting feature inmy opinion is the ‘Search’ tab, or the ‘Browse’section on the right of screen. A quick dip intothis section, By Issue, By Author, By Title or BySection should make even the most disinterestedreader smile and I challenge anyone to resistbeing enticed down many paths to peruse journalarticles that were almost forgotten among thepacked milieu of past articles. As will quickly beseen, we have an extraordinary diversity of arti-cles in our archive. I believe every member willappreciate this new and ready access to our often“sparkling” past.

Brian Tobin

Pat O'SullivanThe high point of this year’s study tour wasundoubtedly our visit to the forest researchcampus of the National Institute of AgronomicResearch (INRA) at Pierroton, near Bordeaux.Tour participants were impressed by the cuttingedge forest genetics programme which is focussedon producing enhanced forest reproductivematerial, addressing the challenges of climatechange and breeding for pathogen resistance.These research programmes are the driving forcebehind technological adaptation, improvedsilvicultural practices and the accumulation andtransfer of knowledge among practitioners.

The network of research support structures wasimpressive, particularly the forest advisory andco-operative groups which work together todevelop the private forestry sector. At the heartof this industry was a well resourced forestresearch programme which provided the spark todrive the industry’s innovation and development.Supported by this research programme, France’sforestry sector is well placed to address the manychallenges and opportunities which will arise overthe coming years. Impressive developments inforest genetics and advances in cultivation,establishment and silvicultural methods are thepractical results of long-term investment in forestresearch and development.

In France the dividends flowing from a well-resourced forest research programme are readilyapparent. In Ireland successful agri-businessessuch as Glanbia and Kerry have benefited hugelyfrom their significant investment in research.Forestry is no different. The fact that we nowhave a thriving forestry and forest products sectorin Ireland is due, in large part, to thecomprehensive research undertaken in pastdecades.

In our recent policy paper ‘A revised structure forforest research in Ireland’ the Society advocateson-going investment in research to ensure theforestry sector achieves its full potential. Irishforestry is now in dire need of long-term researchin key areas such as forest performance underchanging climates, tree improvement, silviculture,forest protection and transferring researchfindings into practice to underpin thedevelopment of the sector.

Study tour of the Aquitaine region of France: Benny O'Brien, Niall Farrelly, Amélie Castro (CRPF), Annie Raffin(INRA), John Guinan and Frank Barrett absorb an excellent presentation on tree improvement research at ONF'sPinus pinaster seed orchard near Mimizan in the Landes.

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Society welcomes forestry tour from Worcestershire

Members of the Royal Forestry Society in Glendine, Co. Laois. The group was led its President, Andrew Woods (extreme left) and SIF Public RelationsOfficer, Kevin Hutchinson (extreme right). In early September the Society hosted a week long study tour by 30 members of the Royal Forestry Society(Worcestershire Division). During the week the group visited the Phoenix Park and Aras an Uachtaráin; Glendalough and the Wicklow MountainsNational Park; a harvesting site near Newtownmountkennedy; continuous cover forestry at Knockrath Wood, Rathdrum; private forestry sites in theSlieve Bloom Mountains; Sitka spruce in Glendine; Laois Sawmill Ltd. and rounded off their visit with a presentation on hurley ash and the hurleymaking industry ...... in Kilkenny, of course.

The Glendalough class of ’86

Forestry can still provide much needed jobs in rural Ireland but it can’tcompare with the period 1950 - 1980 when forestry was a major employer,before increased mechanisation reduced numbers as it did in other sectorssuch as agriculture.

In 1986, Gerry Patterson, Forester in Charge of Laragh Forest issued aninvitation to staff and former staff of the Forest Service in the Glendalougharea to meet at the Upper Lake for a photocall. In a rural area with a smallpopulation it was gratifying to see how many accepted the invitation. Outof an estimated 50 ‘past and present employees’ 41 turned up. In addition,we estimated that a further 60 people were employed in other aspects offorestry in the locality such as harvesting and haulage. In 1986, when thisphotograph was taken, 34 men were still employed by the Forest Serviceand most of the remainder had either retired or had gone on to pursuecareers in areas such as contracting and sawmilling.

For the record, the following people assembled at the Upper Lake,Glendalough:

Back row – Eugene Curran, Jack Murtagh, Tom Timmons, Tom Devitt,Tommy Nolan, Seamus Cullen, Patrick McDonnell, Stephen Mitchell,Noel Kinsella, Pat Porter, John Steele, Bob Dagg, John Byrne, AidanByrne, Peter Murphy, Jim Murphy, Shay Ward, Edward Delamere, KevinByrne, Paddy Fox, Jim Kennedy, Charlie Byrne and Richard Miley.

Front row – Owen Kenny, Jim Kavanagh, Tommy Roche, AndrewMcDonnell, Denis McCoy, Johnny Richardson, Jim Conway, GerryPatterson, Michael Holden, Jack Duffy, Charlie McCoy, Jim McDonnell,Bill Conway, Bill Stacey, Ritchie Cullen, Paddy McDonnell, DonalMagner, Christopher Stacey. Sadly many have passed away in theintervening years, but the photograph is a reminder of an era when forestryplayed a huge role in so many households in the Glendalough area.

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New MembersWe welcome the following new members

to the Society of Irish Foresters

AssociateElaine Heney

StudentDaniel Coughlan; Fernando Gonzales; Gonzalo Gonzalez Fer; James Kearins;

Richard Walsh

Technical Enda Coates, Aaron Harrington; Colm Lyons; Karol McLoughlin;

Patrick Power

Society of Irish ForestersGlenealy, Co Wicklow

e: sif@eircom.netw: www.societyofirishforesters.ie

To all our members, thanks foryour support during the year

Nollaig shona is gach sonas i gcomhair na h-athbhliana

Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year

AcknowledgementsEditorial

Donal Magner, Pat O’Sullivan, Niall Farrelly, Brian Tobin.

Photography Donal Magner, Kevin Hutchinson,

Gabriel Tucker, Brian Tobin, Gerry Patterson.

5-12 MarchESB Tree Week

7 March Augustine Henry Forestry Lecture - Dublin Trees and Woodlands in Irish Poetry

Donal Magner

8 AprilAGM & Eastern Field Day

Co. Kildare

20 MayNorthern Field Day

Castle Leslie, Co. Monaghan

10 JuneSouthern Field Day

Clonmel, Co. Tipperary

6 - 11 SeptemberAnnual Study Tour

Austria

30 SeptemberWestern Field Day

Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon

5 OctoberAnnual Sean Mac Bride Forestry Lecture

TBC

SOCIETY EVENTS 2016

The road less travelled A Long Journey in a Short Time byTony Gallinagh provides a fascinatinginsight to life in the Finn Valley

Tony Gallinagh is the latest forester to put pen to paper. His book, A Long Jour-ney in a Short Time, is a social history of life in the Finn Valley, Co. Donegalrather than an account of his life in forestry. However, he provides a fascinatinginsight to his life as a forester in the introduction which prompts the question:is there another book on the way with a detailed account of his career in forestryand related activity? Tony spent a total of 51 years in forestry, comprising 35years as a forester with the Forestry Division and with Donegal County Councilfollowed by 16 years managing his own nursery and farm.

A Long Journey in a Short Time is focused mainly on a disappearing way oflife which he felt compelled to record. This is his journey and the journey ofhis neighbours in the Finn Valley – and what a journey! Farmers who now usemassive machinery to plant, tend and harvest crops will probably smile at thechapters which deal with growing potatoes and oats ‘the old way’ while thechapter dealing with flax – a major crop in the 18th and 19th centuries through-out Ireland – will be unfamiliar but rewarding territory for most readers.

Tony was born in Cappry in the Finn Valley in 1934 and was blessed with anexcellent memory, keen eye-sight and a good ear for music and story-telling –so the sights and sounds are captured elegantly – from his first day at school tomore recent happenings.

His book features the arrival of electricity to the area, the family’s first radio,his first rail journey and an account of other transport systems such as Bian-coni’s connections with Donegal and the dreaded customs men. In addition,the birth of the ‘twin towns’ of Stranorlar and Ballybofey is faithfully recorded– back to a time when this area wasn't a place for the faint-hearted.

The book is liberally illustrated with fine images throughout and is beautifullybound by Brown Printers, Letterkenny – a Donegal triumph all round. Membersof the Society of Irish Foresters may purchase copies of A Long Journey in aShort Time for €15.00 (Paperback) or €25.00 (Hardback). This price includesthe cost of delivery.

Please make cheques payable to ‘Society of Irish Foresters’and send to: Pat O’Sullivan, Society of Irish Foresters,Glenealy, Co. Wicklow or make electronic payments to UlsterBank, 130 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2 BIC: ULSB IE 2DIBAN: IE25 ULSB 9850 2008 7720 46.

Note: All proceeds go to Donegal Hospice.

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