BARKING UP THE WRONG TREE!

Tidy Towns ‘astounded’ by remarks

IT SEEMS that Cllr Robbie Ireton was barking up the wrong tree when he called for the London Planes on Gorey’s main street to be cut down and replaced with a more suitable variety.

Gorey Tidy Towns chairperson Liz Kenny said this week that they were ‘astounded’ by his remarks, and called on the council to leave the trees alone.

Last week’s Gorey Guardian reported on Cllr Ireton’s council meeting comments that the falling leaves were too big and posed a risk to pedestrians. The story soon went viral, drawing attention nationally and internationally.

‘ Those trees are spectacular and a great asset to the environment of the town,’ said Ms Kenny. ‘ This would be a travesty and we will be against any such plan. These beautiful mature broadleaf trees are a credit to our town and look great the whole year round.’

She asked if Cllr Ireton had any statistics for people falling on the leaves. ‘All leaves need to cleaned from footpaths, no matter how big or

small,’ the Tidy Towns chairperson said.

District engineer Neville Shaw said the London Plane trees are over 30 years old. ‘ They are a big-leaf tree,’ he admitted. ‘ They can block gullies quite quickly but with careful management, we’ve managed to keep them under control. We sweep them up every day. We’re no different to any other town.’

He wasn’t aware of any reports of people slipping on them, and confirmed the leaves on the new trees on The Avenue will be smaller. ‘ They’re pin oak trees,’ he said. ‘ The leaves will be the size of a child’s hand.’