Western Forestry Co-op & Irish Timber Growers Association
Field day to Killegar Estate, Carrigallen, Co Leitrim
Date: Friday 18th October 2019
Meeting Time: 10.15 am
This event is open to all.
Directions:
From Carrigallen follow the sign for Ballinamore on the R201, 1.5km out of Carrigallen on the Mohill road take the right turn for the R204, in 200 meters keep right at the Y junction for Killegar, continue on this road passing Drumeela Church on your left until you see field day signs.
Eircode: H12 CH90 Co-ordinates: 54.007010135699, -7.6046058974714
Participants are advised to bring suitable clothing & footwear and a packed lunch
Itinerary
Morning session – Welcome to the Killegar Estate Woodlands. The Killegar Estate has been the home of the Godley family since 1813 and comprises some 375 acres of farmland and woodlands. The woodlands are incredibly diverse and include mature broadleaf woodland, semi mature broadleaf and semi mature conifer woodland. They represent a showcase for woodlands potential on such sites.
We will visit part of the site which has been used as a research/trial area over the last 23 years. There are twenty 0.1 hectare plots planted in 1996 with a variety of species including Sitka spruce, Norway spruce, Western red cedar, Oak, Ash, Beech, Hornbeam, Horse Chestnut and Cherry. These trials will give forest owners a valuable insight into options for planting more diverse species in Leitrim and similar lands. There is also an area of old woodland that has undergone the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme some years ago and we will discuss various future possibilities for this area.
This is an ideal site to explore the theory of “the right trees in the right place”. Growth rates, stem quality and market potential will be discussed in addition to the woodland management regime.
There will also be a forest mycology and wild fungi walk led by Jonathan Spazzi of Teagasc through part of the estate, which was where the former International Mushroom Festival was held for many years.
Lunch –Participants are advised to take along a picnic lunch which we can have on site.
Afternoon Session
We will visit a semi mature commercial conifer site which was planted in 2000 with Sitka spruce, Japanese larch and additional broadleaves. A road was recently constructed here in 2019 and the area was also thinned in 2019. The road is on a steep gradient and the challenges and construction costs on such gradients will be discussed. Thinning procedures and operations will also be discussed at this site.
Western Forestry co-op would like to sincerely thank the Godley Family for hosting the field day in their woodlands and the ITGA for jointly holding the field day
