{{Unreferenced, date=March 2020 The area of national forest estate in

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

has increased to approximately 700,000 hectares as a result of a significant increase in private forest development in the mid-1980s, with the introduction of grant schemes funded by the EU aimed at encouraging private land owners, mainly farmers, to become involved in forestry. Of this, approximately 45% is in private ownership and 55% is in the ownership of

Coillte Coillte (; meaning "forests"/"woods") is a state-owned commercial forestry business in Ireland based in Newtownmountkennedy. Coillte manage approximately 7% of the country’s land, and operates three businesses - their core forestry business, a ...

. During the first 75 years of the 20th century, forestry in Ireland was almost exclusively carried out by the state. By 1985, forest and woodland cover was approximately 420,000 hectares. Upon the first arrival of humans in Ireland around 12,500 years ago, the entire island was predominantly covered in a blanket of thick woodland. These woodlands consisted largely of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

and

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accep ...

forests. However, centuries of heavy

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. The most concentrated d ...

meant that by the end of the 19th century, the area of woodland and forest cover in Ireland was estimated to be approximately 69,000 hectares, or 1% of the national land area. The vast majority of forestry plantings in Ireland are non-native species, chiefly

Sitka spruce ''Picea sitchensis'', the Sitka spruce, is a large, coniferous, evergreen tree growing to almost tall, with a trunk diameter at breast height that can exceed 5 m (16 ft). It is by far the largest species of spruce and the fifth-larg ...

, with the consequent damage to biodiversity and the environment.

By province and county

Ulster

; County Antrim *

Carnfunnock Country Park Carnfunnock Country Park is a 191-hectare park located between Drains Bay and Ballygally, near Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is situated on the A2 Antrim Coast Road, 3.5 miles north of Larne. The park consists of mixed woodland, g ...

Glenariff Forest Park Glenariff Forest Park is an 1185 hectare (2928 acre) forest in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is part of Glenariff glen itself. The forest is managed by the Northern Ireland Forest Service, the state body responsible for forestry in the pr ...

Lagan Valley The Lagan Valley (, Ulster Scots: ''Glen Lagan'') is an area of Northern Ireland between Belfast and Lisburn. The River Lagan rises on Slieve Croob in County Down and flows generally northward discharging into Belfast Lough. For a section, the ...

Slieveanorra Forest Slieveanorra Forest is situated in the rural north of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, near the villages of Corkey and Newtown Crommelin. It is a vast conifer forest and offers panoramic views. Altnahinch Dam is located on the edge of the fores ...

; County Armagh *

Gosford Forest Park Gosford Forest Park is a forest park located outside Markethill, County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The park, previously Gosford Demesne, was acquired by the Department of Agriculture in 1958 and comprises some 240 hectares of diverse woodland a ...

Maghery Country Park Maghery Country Park is a park in the village of Maghery, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, on the shores of Lough Neagh. It covers and includes five km of woodland walks and picnic areas and is used for birdwatching, fishing, and walking. ...

; County Cavan *

Dún na Rí Forest Park Dún na Rí Forest Park is a forest park is situated on the County Cavan-County Monaghan border, in Ireland. The park itself borders the Shercock and Carrickmacross roads more specifically at Magheracloone and Kingscourt. The park forms a par ...

Killykeen Forest Park Killykeen Forest Park straddling Lough Oughter is situated in County Cavan, Ireland approximately five miles from Cavan town. Responsibility for the upkeep of Killykeen is through the state's commercial forestry service Coillte together with ...

; County Donegal *

Ards Forest Park Ards Forest Park is a park in County Donegal, Ireland. History and Location The forest park is situated on the small Ards Peninsula. It sits on the shores of Sheephaven Bay on the northern coastline of County Donegal, Ireland. It's to be foun ...

; County Down *

Castlewellan Forest Park Castlewellan Forest Park is located in the town of Castlewellan in County Down, Northern Ireland. The park covers some 460 hectares, including woodland and a 40 hectare lake. It was opened to the public in 1967 after the Forest Service of the De ...

Rostrevor Forest Rostrevor Forest is located near the village of Rostrevor, County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies between the Mourne Mountains and Carlingford Lough, in the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The first trees, primarily sitka spruce, dougla ...

Tollymore Forest Park Tollymore Forest Park was the first state forest park in Northern Ireland, established on 2 June 1955. It is located at Bryansford, near the town of Newcastle in the Mourne and Slieve Croob Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It covers an area ...

; County Fermanagh *

Crom Estate The Crom Estate (pronounced ''K-ROM) is a nature reserve located in the south of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, along the shores of Upper Lough Erne. It is one of three estates owned and managed by the National Trust in County Fermanagh, ...

* Florence Court Forest Park ; County Londonderry *

Roe Valley Country Park The Roe Valley Country Park is a forested area containing part of the River Roe, south west of Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is maintained by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, which is part of the Department of the Env ...

; County Monaghan *

Dartrey Forest Dartrey Forest (sometimes Dartrey Estate or Dawson Grove Estate) is a forest and estate near Rockcorry in north-west County Monaghan, Ireland. It was formerly part of the Barony of Dartrey and was the country estate of the Dawson family, who h ...

; County Tyrone *

Drum Manor Forest Park Drum Manor Forest Park gardens in Summer, alt=Drum Manor Forest Park gardens in the summer: grass, trees and flowering bushes in view Drum Manor Forest Park is a forest in Northern Ireland, south of the Sperrin Mountains and west of Lough Neagh ...

Munster

; County Cor
Glenbower
Wood, Killeagh. *

The Gearagh The Gearagh () is a submerged Glacial period, glacial woodland and nature reserve two kilometres southwest of Macroom, County Cork, in Kilmichael, County Cork, Kilmichael parish, Ireland. It is located at the point where the River Lee descends f ...

Glengarriff Forest Glengarriff Forest is an area of woodland near Glengarriff, West Cork, Ireland. Most of the woodland is a nature reserve in public ownership which is sometimes referred to as Glengarriff "forest park" or "state forest". Glengarriff Forest is ...

; County Kerry * Killarney National Forest

Leinster

; County Carlow * Oak Park Forest Park ; County Dublin * Barnaslingan Wood * Carrickgollogan Forest Trail * Tibradden Wood ; County Meath *

Mullaghmeen Forest Mullaghmeen (), at , is the county top for Westmeath in Ireland, and is the lowest county top in Ireland. Mullaghmeen is located in the Mullaghmeen Forest, known for having the largest planted beech forest in Europe. Geography Mullaghmeen l ...

; County Wicklow *

Avondale Forest Avondale Forest is a wooded estate in County Wicklow, Ireland, on the west bank of the River Avonmore. It contains the home of Charles Stewart Parnell which was built in 1777 by Samuel Hayes and is now the Parnell Museum. The park is rich in wil ...

Crone Woods Crone Woods, or Crone Forest, is located in the northeastern section of the Wicklow Mountains, just below the summit of Maulin , in Wicklow in the Ireland. Crone Woods have an extensive network of forest trails and hikes which can be accessed fr ...

* Djouce Woods

Connacht

; County Galway * Barna Woods
Coole Park and Garryland Nature Reserve
; County Leitrim * Glenfarne Demesne ; County Sligo * Gortarowey Forest Recreation Area * Hazelwood

External links

Coillte, The Irish Forestry Board

National Forest Inventory

Native Woodland Trust