Reports submitted by Friends of Merlin Woods say most trees in the area remain structurally sound and can be managed safely

Friends of Merlin Woods in Galway have presented independent reports from forestry experts who say 3.5 hectares of trees included in the felling plan for Merlin Woods can be preserved in a way that “balances public safety with wildlife conservation”.

The community group, which act as the “stewards” of Merlin Woods, has sent a cluster of independent reviews by forestry and wildlife experts to Galway City Council in the hope of preserving a 3.5-hectare section of the 15 hectares earmarked for felling.

Galway City Council announced last month that it would be conducting a two-phase clearing project of damaged trees in Merlin Woods – brought on by Storm Éowyn in early 2025. The first phase includes clearfelling dying, damaged, or mature conifer trees which makes up 46pc of the woodlands.

Replanting and regeneration of the woodlands will be part of the second phase expected to begin next year.

One of those independent reports is by Dermot Houlihan, founder of Timberland Forestry, a forest consultancy. He said he was “surprised” by the lack of damage compared to what he had expected after reviewing Galway City Council’s summary of the arborist.

Mr Houlihan walked the site with Friends of Merlin Woods organiser Caroline Stanley on Monday, September 7, the day Galway City Council began Phase 1 of wider clearing works.

He concluded that 80pc of the section remains structurally sound, “meaning safety works can be confined to the specific patches of windblow that genuinely need attention”.

Mr Houlihan questioned the need to clearfell any standing trees as damaged areas of fallen trees remains minimal, he said.

“The proposed further opening of the area with the extensive clearfelling of 17 hectares of trees which are mostly still standing would increase the risk of windblow for anything left, one must question the need for any such clearfelling of standing trees in the first place,” his report stated.

Galway City Council senior parks and amenity official Lisa Smyth, who is managing the Merlin Woods project, told City councillors at a September meeting that many mature trees in moderate health were being sheltered from wind exposure by stronger trees that fell during Storm Éowyn. She said those trees are included in the clearing works because, if left exposed, they too could fall.

“We don’t need another Storm Éowyn for them to fall,” Ms Smyth said.

According to Mr Houlihan’s report, however, the 3.5 hectare area in question could be transitioned into a permanent native woodland using Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF).

“Because the forest floor is already naturally regenerating with young oak, hazel and ash, the council can safely transition the woodland over time without the excessive costs and visual impact of clear-felling,” the report stated.

Aside from public safety concerns, the red squirrel, whose primary habitat are the conifers of Merlin Woods, remains central to efforts to preserve parts of the woodland.

Research by zoology PhD and Galway squirrel expert Dr Emma Roberts found Merlin Woods to be a “crucial” habitat for red squirrels, one of two population centres for the species in Galway city.

Her research found that red squirrels rely heavily on the conifer-dominated areas of Merlin Woods. The study “detected their presence in 57.5pc of conifer hair tubes, compared with just 34.45pc in broadleaf woodland, with the remainder recorded in mixed woodland. This highlights the vital importance of conifers in providing food, shelter and canopy connectivity”.

Dr Roberts added that retaining viable sections of the existing trees would allow red squirrels to maintain part of their historical food and shelter habitat.

Supplementary feeding stations, typically installed during the winter months, are being put in place to support the squirrel population as clearing and replanting continue.

While Friends of Merlin Woods acknowledges the need to remove trees that pose a health and safety risk to visitors, the group believes the scale of Galway City Council’s project is larger than necessary.

“We now have a clear, expert-backed roadmap that looks after safety, fits within council budgets and keeps our local wildlife safe,” said Ms Stanley.

“We are warmly inviting Galway City Council to engage with us on these independent reviews so we can work together to safeguard these 3.5 hectares, address the wider ecological gaps constructively that the reviews highlight, and look after the future of Galway’s environment and community.”

Friends of Merlin Woods believes the independent findings demonstrate that the council can manage its public safety liabilities, budget constraints and environmental obligations while preserving a valued urban canopy and important wildlife habitat.

The organisation has sent all reviews and supporting letters to Galway City Council for consideration.

The arborist report has not been made publicly available. Galway City Council said a project website will soon be launched with all reports available for public viewing.

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting scheme.