Offaly residents disappointed as more mature trees are removed and replaced

An Offaly councillor has defended a decision to remove mature poplar trees from a roadside in Edenderry despite the disappointment of some residents.

Cllr Noel Cribbin said the decision to remove the trees along the Edenderry to Rathangan road near the Derrycorris estate was a "health a safety issue."

He explained: "The lovely entrance into Edenderry from Rathangan with the line of poplar trees, unfortunately, had to change due to the danger of the poplar trees that have grown so tall and with a poor root base that they could come down in bad weather.

"Their poor root base is also causing trouble to the roads as their roots grow out under the road and are part of the reason for the poor road structure," he added.

"The decision to take them down was a health and safety issue and this disappointed a lot of residents, however, the commitment was given by myself and the council that the trees would be replaced by native Irish trees like ash, birch, oak and so on and I am delighted to see that this is the case.

"The programme was started last year when the first 20 were felled and replaced and again in the last week some more were felled," Cllr Cribbin explained about the much-loved poplar treeline.

"The ground was also cleared of grass and overgrowth and will be resown with wildflowers which will bring a lovely splash of colour and prove to be a home for our bees and pollinators.

"Big thanks to the Council and overseer John for doing such a fabulous job and for their work with Edenderry Tidy Towns members in turning a sad situation into a very positive outcome for all," Cllr Cribbin and Edenderry Tidy Towns PRO, concluded.