Lairakeen House is located just outside of Banagher, Offaly, on the border with County Galway. It is located along the banks of the Shannon. This historic demesne contains a large number of native Oaks and other mature specimens of trees. The brief was to create an inventory of all the trees on the site and a management plan for the conservation of the veteran trees, in particular the Oaks.
The mature trees are one of the estate’s most distinctive features of the estate and impart a strong sylvan character. The area indicated as parkland (to the south of the House primarily) contains many fine specimen trees, several of which are rare or unusual, as well as a variety of specimen shrubs within the walled garden. There are some “Champion Trees” present on the grounds. The Oaks in particular would rank among some of the largest native Oaks in Ireland and are in fair/good structural condition.
There is an unusually high proportion of veteran Oak trees present throughout the site. As part of the field and desktop investigation, we can estimate that the age of some oak could be over 250 years old. Particularly the Oak (T1) in front of the manor house that has reached a circumference of 5.5m.
Based on Alan Mitchell’s rule, the world-famous botanist and dendrologist, we can also estimate the approximate age of trees by measuring the trunk circumference and dividing by 2.5cm (Broadleaved trees such as oak, ash, beech and sycamore increase their girth by 2.5cm annually in open conditions such as parkland). As trees grow at different rates depending on the different conditions, we can then assume that the above Oak is at least 250 years old.
Tree Management works are ongoing.
