GOOD MORNING to fellow tree-huggers one and all, welcome to an arboreal Bluffer’s Guide to Irish.
Now, the therapeutic value of walking in woodland is well known and the Bluffer has always enjoyed a stroll in the remaining woodlands we have - the whole country was a huge forest at one stage.
Not only that but trees help clean the air, store carbon, clean our rivers and provide havens for wildlife.
Crann is the Irish for a tree and you’ll find them in foraoiseanna - forests, coillte - woods, doirí - groves and so on.
Coillearnach is the Irish for woodland, that’s basically any land covered in trees.
These will include ancient woodlands and as far as the Bluffer knows, there is on-going work on compiling an inventory of Ireland’s ancient woodlands, something he’d love to see.
Ancient woodlands are those which go back to pre-1600 and if you were knocking around in those days, you would see fuinseog - ash (to make your camáin - hurley sticks with), beith gheal - birch, coll - hazel, cuileann - holly, dair - oak, caorthainn - rowan, saileach - willow and iúr - yew.
This year, the Woodland Trust in the north is celebrating its 20th anniversary and it is looking for you to share your memories with them.
In 2020, 98% of its 50 woodlands come of age. Their Coillte ar do Thairseach - Woods on your Doorstep project started in 2000 with a simple aim to develop woodlands for bunadh na háite - local people in mainly urban areas.
The project bred new life into towns with the planting of woodlands stretching from Gleann Fhochaine - the Faughan Valley in the North West to Coill na Corróige - Corrog Wood on the Ards Peninsula.
As many of you know, the Bluffer is a big fan of what’s going on in Carntogher near Maghera in Lár-Uladh - Mid-Ulster and so is the Woodland Trust because of the fabulous woodland at Droim nDamh - Drumnaph which plays an important role for the local community.
To mark this 20th anniversary, the Trust is taking a look back over the life of these woods and they would love to hear your stories about how Drumnaph Woodland plays an important role for your community, for example.
Ar phlandáil tú crann ar an chnoc? - did you plant a tree on the hill? An bhfuil cuimhní deasa agat a bheith ag súgardh ann? - do you have fond memories of playing there?
Or what might your area have looked like if the woodland was never there?
Maybe you’ve spotted fiadhúlra - wildlife in your woods, or even if you have just enjoyed watching these woods grow over the past 20 years, the Trust would love you to get in touch.
The Trust has three key aims: i) to protect ancient woodland ii) the restoration of damaged ancient woodland, bringing precious pieces of our natural history back to life and iii) planting native trees and woods with the aim of creating resilient landscapes for people and wildlife.
:: To get in touch with Woodland Trust Northern Ireland, you should email WTNI@woodlandtrust.org.uk or telephone at 028 9127 5787.
CUPLA FOCAL
crann(cran) - a tree
foraoiseanna(foreeshana) - forests
coillte(cultcha) - woods
doirí - (diree) groves
coillearnach(culyernakh) - woodland
fuinseog(fwinshawg) - ash
camáin(camaan) - hurley stick
beith gheal(bayh yaal) - birch
coll(coll) - hazel
cuileann(kilin) - holly
dair(daar) - oak
caorthainn(keerhan) - rowan
saileach(salyakh) - willow
iúr(yoor) - yew
Coillte ar do Thairseach(cultcha er daw haarshakh) - Woods on your Doorstep
bunadh na háite(bunoo na hiytcha) - local people
Gleann Fhochaine (glyaan awkhinya ) - the Faughan Valley
Coill na Corróige(cul na coroyga) - Corrog Wood
Lár-Uladh - (laar uloo) - Mid-Ulster
Droim nDamh - (drim naav) - Drumnaph
Ar phlandáil tú crann ar an chnoc? (er flandaal too cran er un khroc) - dd you plant a tree on the hill?
An bhfuil cuimhní deasa agat a bheith ag súgardh ann? (un wil kivnyee jassa ugut a vay eg soogroo un) - do you have fond memories of playing there?
fiadhúlra (feeaghoolra) - wildlife
