Athenry Tidy Towns Group has an ambitious plan to plant up to 5,000 native trees
and shrubs around the town over the next 4 years. This year we will begin by planting 1,182 trees as laid out in the plan below.
We have decided to plant all of Irelands native trees and shrubs around the town, even though a small number of them would not be particularly native to this area. We will develop a specimen tree trail once the plants are somewhat mature, with identification and information boards.
As part of this plan we will also develop a number of wildflower meadows in different spots around the town and develop wildflower corridors to these meadows.These trees, shrubs and wildflowers will provide nesting and feeding habitats for a huge variety of insects, birds and wildlife.
The Skylark Centre and the seven local national schools in the parish will be doing the planting for us and we hope to see a huge amount of parents and children come out on the day of the planting, 9.00 am 10th December 2011.
We realise that some
people living in the parish attend schools outside the parish and if
they wish to come along to help out with the planting they are more
than welcome.
The Tidy Towns group has organised a large number of volunteers that will be involved in traffic calming and management as the plantings take place beside some busy roads.
We will require that all children taking part wear Hi-Viz vests and are accompanied by a parent. Gloves are not compulsory but would be a good idea. We would ask parents to bring a spade with them if possible as we will not be able to provide enough spades. The planting will begin at 9.00am and we would expect it to take approximately an hour depending on the numbers that turn up.
We hope to have
photographs taken in each area during and after the planting. We
would like to get a photo of each school group at their site to put
with a certificate of participation, that we will present to each
school. These photos will be in the local papers and put up on our
website. RTE, TV3 and TG4 have all been invited to attend.
The trees and shrubs are all saplings and the planting is not a difficult job. The spade is put into the ground and moved forwards and back a few time to loosen the earth. The sapling is then put in behind the spade, taking care not to damage the roots, to the depth where the roots and stem meet. The spade is then removed and the earth either side of the sapling is heeled firmly down.
The Tidy Towns Group will look after the maintenance of the saplings for the next few years which will require regular strimming until the trees are somewhat mature. Most of these trees are medium to fast growing and should be of substantial size in 5 to 10 years.

Opposite Gort Na
Mhaoilir – Gaelscoil Riada
- Crabapple
23
Elderberry
25
Hazel
33
Hawthorn
20
Guelder
Roses - white 30
Blackthorn
– green 20
---
151
Around roundabout on
Derrydonnell Road – Carnaun National School
Holly 63
Hazel 60
Bird
Cherry 16
Crabapple 10
Haw
8
---
157
Road out to flyover –
Coldwood National School & Liheenkyle National School
Wild
Cherry 150
Sessile
Oak 5
Pedunculate
Oak 5
Ash
5
Blackthorn
55
---
220
Bank of incomplete
flyover
– Tidy Towns Group
Blackthorn 25
European
Spindle 28
---
53
Road between two
roundabouts going towards motorway
– Tidy Towns Group
Sessile
Oak 15
Pedunculate
Oak 15
Ash 15
Scots
Pine 20
---
65
Left
Hand Side approaching Joyces from Motorway – Newcastle National
School
Goat
Willow 60
Black
Alder 25
---
85
Right
hand side after Joyces towards dublin road roundabout and out towards
cemetry – Scoil Chroi Naofa & Athenry Boys School
Silver
Birch 35
Elderberry 45
Rowan 70
Blackthorn 50
Bird
Cherry 25
---
225
From
pump house building on road from cemetry to past roundabout on
council yard side – Athenry Boys School
Juniper 35
Downey
Birch 25
Alder
Buckthorn 30
Guelder
Rose 20
---
110
Beside
Community Park – Tidy Towns Group
Bird
Cherry 20
Killarney
Strawberry 23
---
43
-------
Total
1,109
New Line - Tidy Towns Group
Bird Cherry 25
Total of each Tree variety
Ash
20
Pedunculate
Oak 20
Sessile
Oak 20
Scots
Pine 20
European
Spindle 28
Wild
Cherry 150
Bird
Cherry 86
Crabapple
33
Blackthorn 150
Hawthorn
28
Killarney
Strawberry 23
Alder
Buckthorn 30
Guelder
Rose 50
Silver
Birch 35
Juniper
35
Holly
63
Downey
Birch 25
Rowan
70
Goat
Willow 60
Black
Alder 25
Hazel
93
Elderberry
70
------
1,134