Ash Dieback

The core in the top photo may be the die-back?

Our woodlands up the valley are being inspected by the national parks and wildlife service, this is a follow up to a previous inspection about 15 years ago.

Amongst other things Ash die back is being monitored

Drove across four counties at the weekend and must have passed hundreds of thousands of dead and dying trees.

Its shocking really!

Probably a stupid question (given DAFM ultimately responsible) but has anyone ever been held accountable for importing the original diseased stock into the country?

Have been cutting away at the road side ditch over the past few weeks. Shocking the amount of trees dying and dead. Its amazing the amount of dead and weak limbs and boughs.

It's amazing the amount of timber gathered and into the shed.

A real focus now needs to be put on checking trees by roads. Could be a good time to become a tree surgeon or to get a shears for a digger.

It's really terrible, we're going to lose millions of trees within a few years due to incompetence in government agencies.

The single biggest ecological loss Ireland has seen in our lifetimes.

Those responsible will suffer no consequences.

Meanwhile a lowly farmer taking out 100m of a hedge would have the book thrown at him.

Tis a funny old country.

Have noticed ash die back being much worse around me this year. Last year it was mainly young trees and the odd big tree -mainly in wet, marshy ground were effected. We’ve two huge trees almost devoid of foliage this year, I’d say dead next year. Nearly all small ash trees dead this year.

on a positive note, I see that mature trees on upland, especially the deep green ash trees seem to be resisting well. Ash trees that generally have more yellow green leaves seem to be more easily over come - possibly a nutrient thing that means they more weak anyway?

Theres definitely trees to be taken down in autumn around my area that should go to use as firewood before they just rot away.

Probably a stupid question

Is it the just the brown leaved section in the first pic or is it all the dead looking branches at the bottom with lichen looking stuff growing on them on the bottom?

The main reason I ask is because ever since I can remember (a long time now) or ash trees have had those dead branches on them and they just drop off but the tree has continued thriving....

We have a lot of Ash here since my father's time (ironically he wanted to take an entire ditch of them out years ago but I liked them and argued against - not really out of any ecological considerations, I just liked them and thought it would be a shame to kill them even as a small kid - now it looks like they'll be taken anyway ffs)

When I look closely up along the tree, I can see completely dead branches that look like the leaves were eaten completely from them. The trees in those pics I took are not the worst I've seen here. I just wanted to give people an idea of how trees may look ok in the distance, but have it on closer inspection.

I thought similar about mature Ash in upland being unaffected last summer.

But most of those are now showing signs this summer, so just delayed onset.

I'll still be slow to cut any that aren't dangerous or roadside, just incase some might be resistant.

The mind boggles.....

By the roadside my motto is very simple, "if in doubt take it out"