The oldest tree in Ireland is a Yew found in the Silent Valley, Mourne Mountains. Co. Down.
It is estimated to be 2,000 to 3,000 years old.
Yew trees are considered sacred in Celtic culture.
The tallest tree in Ireland is a Douglas fir at the Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow, measuring 67.7 metres in height.
It was planted c. 1876
Trees are an essential food source. We have apples, cherries, damsons, pears, plums, sloes, and nuts available here, but globally, think of avocados, bananas, oranges, lemons, mangos, peaches, and many more. And where would we be without tea, coffee, and coconut trees?
The hawthorn is known as the fairies’ tree. People say that fairies live in its branches and beneath its roots. That’s why it’s considered very unlucky to cut down a hawthorn, especially if it stands alone, because the fairies might get upset, and they’re not always kind when they’re crossed.
The tallest tree in the world is a coast redwood in Redwood National Park, California. At 116.07 metres in height (recorded in 2019), it is almost as tall as the Spire in Dublin, which is
121 metres high.
One of the most magical things about the juniper is its berries. They're not true berries, but tiny blue cones that look like little beads. Birds and animals love to eat them, and people use them too! A drink called gin is made from them, and long ago, people believed the berries could help with colds or upset stomachs.
The oldest tree in the world is a bristlecone pine growing in the White Mountains in California, estimated to be over 4,850 years old. The exact location is kept secret to protect it!
The Wollemi pine is a very rare and ancient tree that was once thought to be extinct. It lived during the time of the dinosaurs and was only known from fossils—until 1994, when a small group of them was discovered in a hidden canyon in Australia. People were amazed! Scientists now protect the Wollemi pine very carefully, and a few have been planted in gardens around the world to help it survive.
A specimen is now growing in the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin.
The ash tree is one of the most important trees in Ireland. It grows tall and strong, with leaves made up of lots of little leaflets.
Ash wood is really good for making things as it’s bendy but tough! That’s why it was used to make hurleys for the Irish sport of hurling.
Ash trees also help wildlife. Birds nest in their branches, and insects like to live in their bark and leaves. In autumn, they drop little “helicopter seeds” that spin through the air as they fall.
Sadly, today, ash trees in Ireland are in danger from a disease called ash dieback, which is making many of them sick. People are now working hard to protect the trees and grow healthy ones for the future.
The oak tree has long been a symbol of strength, wisdom, and life. With its thick trunk and wide, spreading branches, it was often called the King of the Trees. People believed it brought good luck, fertility, and protection, and in ancient times, it was even thought to hold magical powers.
But the oak tree isn’t just important to people—it’s also a busy, leafy home for hundreds of animals! Birds like robins and blue tits build their nests in its branches. Squirrels gather its acorns to eat and hide for the winter. Insects, like tiny beetles and caterpillars, live in its bark and leaves. Even foxes and badgers might rest in the shade of its roots.
​One of the trees birds love most in Ireland is the oak tree. It’s a perfect place for birds to build their nests, with strong branches that twist and stretch out in every direction. Oak trees are full of tiny insects, which birds like to eat and feed to their chicks. In autumn, some birds also enjoy the acorns that fall to the ground. Because the oak tree is so big and full of life, it becomes a safe and tasty home for many birds like robins, blue tits, and chaffinches. It’s almost like a tree-sized hotel and restaurant just for birds!
Holly is often planted near houses in Ireland to keep them safe, especially from lightning. With its shiny green leaves and bright red berries, it’s seen as a protective and lucky tree. People also say that fairies like holly and that it’s wise to treat it with respect.
But be careful- if you misuse holly, like using it to sweep the chimney or throw it on a rubbish fire, you might upset the fairies! They don’t like it when holly is treated badly, and they’re known to be a little mischievous when they’re annoyed.
So, if you see a holly tree, admire it, be kind to it, and maybe even leave a small thank you for the fairy folk who might be hiding nearby!
The rowan tree, also called mountain ash, is known as a tree of good luck. Long ago, people believed that if you planted a rowan near your house, it would keep witches and bad magic away. Some even planted rowans beside graves, thinking the tree’s power would keep the dead from rising. With its bright red berries and feathery leaves, the rowan was seen as a guardian tree, quietly watching and keeping the world safe.
Clogs for the feet were once made from the wood of the alder tree, which is strong yet light. Long ago, alder timber was also used to build the foundations of bridges in Venice, because it doesn't rot easily in water. In fact, alder wood is so good with damp conditions that it was even used to make milk pails, keeping the milk cool and fresh.
Most wood can float on water like a little boat, but ebony is special. It’s so heavy and strong that it sinks right to the bottom! Long ago, ebony was used to make the black keys on a piano because it's smooth and dark like polished stone.
The strawberry tree, also known as the arbutus, has shiny green leaves and smooth, reddish bark that peels like paper. It grows sweet red berries that look like strawberries, but they’re not quite the same. You can eat them, but some animals- like birds and squirrels- love them even more!
What makes the strawberry tree extra special is that it has flowers and fruit at the same time! That means you can see white or pink blossoms and red berries on the tree together, which doesn’t happen with most trees.
The largest tree in the world is known as General Sherman. It lives in California, in Sequoia National Park, and it's a giant sequoia tree. While it's not the tallest tree on Earth, it is the biggest when you measure its total size, meaning its trunk is super wide and super tall at the same time.
General Sherman is about 83 metres tall (like a 27-story building), and its trunk is so thick that it would take more than 20 children holding hands to reach all the way around it! It’s been growing for over 2,000 years, which means it started before the time of the Romans, and it’s still alive today.
The birch tree has long been seen as a symbol of new beginnings and gentle protection. Long ago in Ireland, people would often use birch wood to make cradles for babies. It was light, smooth, and strong - just right for rocking little ones to sleep.
But there was another reason, too. People believed that birch had the power to keep fairies away. In old stories, fairies sometimes tried to steal human babies, leaving a changeling, a fairy child, in their place. Birch cradles were thought to protect the baby from this, as the fairies didn’t like the birch tree’s magic.
So, when a baby slept in a birch cradle, they were wrapped in more than blankets—they were cradled in old woodland magic, safe and sound.
Did you know you can tell how old a tree is by counting its rings? If you look at a slice of a tree trunk, you’ll see lots of circles inside - these are called growth rings, and each one shows one year
of the tree’s life.
But the rings don’t just tell us the tree’s age - they also tell the story of how the tree lived. When the rings are wide, it means the tree had a good year with plenty of sunshine and rain to help it grow. But if the rings are narrow, that means the tree had a tough year, maybe because it was cold, or there wasn’t enough light or space to grow.
So in a way, trees keep their own secret diary inside their trunks, and we can read it, ring by ring!
The Tree of Knowledge!
In Ireland, many places are named after trees because trees were very important in the past. People believed trees had special powers, and they often grew near villages, wells, or ancient sites. That’s why you’ll find lots of Irish place names with tree words in them.
For example, places with “dair” in the name often mean oak. “Kildare” means “church of the oak.” Places with “coll” might be named after hazel trees, and “beith” means birch.
These names are like little clues from long ago, reminding us of the trees that once grew there and the stories people told about them.
Trees are part of our very identity. We are all familiar with being addressed at public events as “A Chairde Gaeil”, but did you know that the Irish word for an Irish person – Gael - comes from the Welsh language Goídil. It means a person who lives in a wood!
So long ago, the Welsh people, looking across the 60 miles of the Irish Sea at a heavily wooded Ireland, realised that we must all live in the woods. It was they who first referred to us as “A Chairde Gaeil”. Our connection with trees dates back as far as the Irish language itself, which is approximately 2,500 years old!