Why Aren’t We Planting More Trees in Ireland? (Still a Question Worth Asking in 2026)

OP Note March 2026; I have checked this post for relevancy, performed some edits and I believe it is still good in 2026.

How We Think About Wood

I first came up with the idea for this post because of some worrying attitudes I’ve seen where wood is concerned. To some people, wood is simply a resource for burning and little more. To others, it’s a cheap, replaceable material with a “why should I pay for it?” attitude.

To a smaller group, wood is something far more important — a valuable natural resource that should be protected, used responsibly, and replaced in greater numbers than the trees being cut down.

I fall into that last category, in case you’re wondering. Trees and wood are now part of my livelihood as a woodturner, so the future of tree planting in Ireland is something I think about a lot. Ireland still has one of the lowest levels of forest cover in Europe, which raises an obvious question: why aren’t we planting more trees?

When Trees Become Just Firewood

I see the issue constantly. In many cases when hardwood trees fall or are cut down, they are quickly processed into firewood because it generates fast revenue. While I understand the practical need to make use of the timber, what concerns me is that the wider issue rarely seems to be discussed — the simple question of whether enough trees are being planted to replace what is being lost.

I have yet to meet a tree surgeon who contributes financially to planting new trees when older ones are removed. I would genuinely like to be proven wrong on that point.

Hardwood trees take decades to mature and once burned they are gone forever. Conifers, on the other hand, are far better suited as firewood. They grow quickly in the Irish climate and are already widely planted as commercial forestry crops.

There is currently a shortage of hardwood trees in Ireland, especially mature ones, and from what I see the situation only seems to be getting worse.

The Challenge of Finding Hardwood for Craft

Another reason I wanted to write this post is because of how difficult it can be to source hardwood for my craft. In many cases when someone working around trees has a fallen hardwood tree available, they expect a firewood rate for it before selling it to me, even if they do none of the work involved in getting it loaded into my van.

Trees also never seem to fall in convenient places. They rarely grow beside a road with easy access for a van. Much more often they are lying in boggy fields in the middle of nowhere or in gardens where you cannot drive onto the grass.

More than once I have arrived too late to the site of a fallen tree that had already been cut into firewood logs. Too often I hear the same phrase:

“Pity you didn’t call last week, I already cut up that big tree for firewood.”

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🌿 If you’d like to learn more about the Hometree project and how it’s helping to restore Ireland’s native woodlands, check out my post: Join the Fight to Restore Ireland’s Native

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The Value of Wood

I have had a small number of customers over the years who genuinely cannot understand why I might charge €20 for a small item or €120 for a bowl. Occasionally the comment appears: “Sure ’tis only wood.” I’ve written about these attitudes before in my post Why Are Craft Products So Expensive?, where I explain the time, materials and skill that go into handmade craft work.

That remark always surprises me a little. I think some people have grown up believing that wood has very little value beyond heating a sitting room.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

It can take decades for a tree to grow and mature. Once the timber is cut, the wood often needs months or even years to dry properly before it can be worked. After that comes the time, care and skill needed to turn a raw piece of wood into something useful or beautiful.

By the time a finished piece sits on a table ready for sale, a remarkable amount of time has already passed.

Wood is also far from an easy material to work with. Fresh timber is heavy, full of water and constantly moving as it dries. Getting from raw log to finished piece takes patience, experience and a fair bit of trial and error.

I only wish more people could see the value in wood the way I do. Sometimes I worry that it may take a real shortage of trees before attitudes start to change.

When Cheap Goods Change Our Sense of Value

Part of the problem is that we have become used to mass-produced goods made from cheap materials, often imported from abroad. I talked about this in more detail in my post The Side Effect of Importing Cheap Goods, where I discuss how mass production has changed how people view handmade work.

Ireland of the Past

When humans first stepped onto the island of Ireland around 9,000 years ago, it was covered in vast forests of oak and elm. Conifers tended to grow on poorer soils where hardwood species struggled to survive.

Ash trees arrived about 500 years later, followed by another wave of ash spreading across the island roughly 2,000 years after that.

At one point, woodland covered more than 90% of Ireland’s land area. The landscape our earliest inhabitants encountered would have been almost entirely forest.

Over time, growing populations and the expansion of farming gradually reduced this woodland. Trees were cleared to create fields, settlements and fuel supplies. For many centuries this process happened slowly, but the long-term effect was the steady loss of Ireland’s native forests.

Man Versus Nature

As Ireland moved closer to the modern era, several forces combined to accelerate the loss of woodland. Rapid population growth, shipbuilding, and later the demands of the Industrial Revolution all placed increasing pressure on the country’s forests.

From the 16th century onward, deforestation accelerated dramatically. Timber was needed for buildings, ships, tools and fuel, and large areas of woodland were cleared. By the time the process had run its course, woodland coverage had fallen to an estimated low of around 1.5% of the entire island.

Forestry preservation efforts began to appear in the 1700s, which slowly helped increase woodland cover again. However, the recovery has been modest and progress remains slow even today.

Much of modern forestry policy focuses on fast-growing conifer plantations grown as commercial crops. While these plantations serve an economic purpose, relatively little planting of native hardwood species takes place. This is why large areas of Irish forestry can appear as rows of uniform conifers, often followed by acres of stumps after harvesting.

Today Ireland’s overall forest coverage sits at roughly 10%, which is still among the lowest levels in Europe.

The image below is computer generated and not entirely accurate, but it illustrates the general idea.

Plant Trees or Look at Something Like This?

The Future, why aren't we Planting More Trees????

I believe the Irish government should consider subsidising farmers, and other large landowners, to plant hardwood trees across their land.

The main difficulty with hardwood trees is that they take decades to mature, which makes them unattractive from a purely commercial point of view. For that reason, planting hardwood should be seen as a long-term investment on behalf of the Irish people and future generations rather than a short-term cash crop.

Even a small effort could make a huge difference. If every farmer in Ireland planted just 10–20 hardwood trees each year, the impact over time would be remarkable.

Farming has historically been one of the reasons so much woodland disappeared from the Irish landscape, so in many ways it would be fitting if trees began to return to the land through farming again.

These trees would provide natural shelter for animals during storms, add beauty back into the countryside and slowly rebuild a resource that has been lost over the centuries.

Eventually, when those trees fall due to storms, disease or simply old age, they could become a valuable resource. The timber could be used by craftspeople, furniture makers and builders before finally ending its life as firewood — ensuring the wood is used to its fullest value with far less impact on the environment.

New Technology for Planting Trees

I recently learned about a new development in drone technology that can plant tree seeds from the air. Specialised drones are capable of firing seed pods into the soil and can plant up to 100,000 seeds in a single day, even in areas that are difficult for people to reach.

You can see an example of this technology in action here: Drones Planting Seeds – National Geographic

This kind of technology could become an extremely valuable tool if governments choose to invest in it. It would allow large areas of land to be reforested far more quickly than traditional planting methods.

With an estimated 15 billion trees cut down worldwide every year, it is clear that serious efforts will be needed if we are to reverse decades of deforestation.

Another advantage of drone planting is that trees do not have to be planted in tight rows like many commercial plantations. In hotter countries where forest fires are becoming more common, spreading trees out naturally can help slow the spread of fires.

Drones are particularly well suited to this approach because their software can map planting locations and space trees out across large areas of land with great accuracy.

Give Something to Future Generations!

Since I have worked with wood for more than half my life, the idea of planting hardwood trees myself has always appealed to me. It seemed like a small but meaningful way to help protect the future supply of timber.

Unfortunately I don’t own any land where trees could be planted.

A fellow woodturner, Matt Jones from Sligo, once mentioned an organisation called Hometree that plants native trees along the west coast of Ireland. Matt had donated to the project and suggested it as a way for people like us, who work with wood, to give something back.

In 2017 I made my first donation and decided that going forward I would contribute a small portion from each bowl sale to help plant more trees.

OP Note – 2024:To date I have donated enough to plant nearly 40 hardwood trees. That is more timber than I will ever use in my lifetime, and I plan to continue donating in the future.

Living Outside of Ireland?

I realise that readers from outside of Ireland may also come across this post, so it’s worth saying that the importance of planting trees isn’t limited to this island alone.

No matter where you live in the world, planting trees is one of the simplest ways to help the environment. If you have the opportunity to plant a tree, it is well worth doing.

Trees should be planted thoughtfully, with enough space between them to allow proper growth and access to sunlight. In some regions this can also help reduce the risk of fires spreading quickly through dense woodland.

Trees also support biodiversity. When woodland areas develop, insects, birds and animals naturally return, creating healthier ecosystems and helping local wildlife thrive.

Recent wildfires in places such as California in the United States and New South Wales in Australia have shown how important proper forest management can be. These areas are sometimes neglected until disaster strikes, but by then it is often too late.

Responsible tree planting and long-term management are essential, so it’s always wise to check local guidelines or regulations before planting.

In Conclusion

Going back to the start of this post, the title “Why aren’t we planting more trees?” might seem like an obvious question. It’s something many people are beginning to ask more often.

From my perspective as someone who has worked with wood for most of my life, I see timber as something rare, precious and incredibly useful. What surprises me sometimes is that when a tree falls, many people immediately think of the financial value of firewood rather than the possibility of using that wood for craft or artistic work.

If a hardwood tree ever falls on your property, it might be worth thinking about contacting a woodturner or craftsperson before cutting it all into firewood.

A woodturner like me could cut out useful sections of the tree and turn them into something special. You would still have plenty of firewood left, but you might also receive a bowl, ornament or another handmade piece to display in your home.

The woodturner gains some valuable timber to work with, and the tree gets a second life as something beautiful.

Everybody wins.

Thanks for Reading,

David

Plant a tree today if you have the space or alternatively support Hometree Future generations will thank you!

Visit my Website Homepage and see how these trees end up

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About the Author

I’m David Condon, a woodturner and small business owner based in Tralee, Co. Kerry. I’ve been working with wood for most of my life — 11 years as a carpenter and over a decade running my own woodturning business.

During that time, I’ve worked with Irish hardwoods, taught woodturning, and run my workshop full-time. On this site, I share the same knowledge I pass on to my students — from choosing the right wood and tools to finishing techniques that make every project shine.

I also stock a carefully chosen range of turning blanks, tools, and craft supplies that I use every day in my own work. You can explore more of my handcrafted pieces and classes at David Condon Woodcraft.

© David Condon Woodcraft – All Rights Reserved.

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More Pages to Explore​​​

• Household Woodcraft Gifts - Discover my range of Household Woodcraft for everyday use or special occasions, each crafted with care from exquisite Irish hardwood.

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