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Kingscourt's iconic chestnut tree collapses

An iconic chestnut tree which held a special place in the hearts of many Kingscourt people came crashing down last weekend. 

Within the last month a large branch had come off the tree in Dún an Rí Forest Park and on Friday morning, August 18, another part of the tree collapsed. The remainder of the tree, which was treated for rot and disease a few years ago, was cut down in the interests of safety.
Located on the green beside Cabra Cottage, the massive tree was loved by locals and visitors alike. It served as a towering climbing frame for the adventurous, provided a shaded spot for family picnics on summer days and offered a leafy shelter from the rain.
Climbing the mighty chestnut was a right of passage for Kingscourt youth.
“It was a landmark there for the last 200 years,” said Fred Leahy who commenced work in Dún an Rí in 1974. “We were up in Donegal last week. We got a text on Friday morning that the poor auld tree was gone. It just fell in all directions and smashed on the ground.” Fred was emotional about the loss of what had long been a symbol of stability in the park.
“It was badly decayed in the centre and was really hanging on by a thread. It got canker about five years ago and Coillte experts said that it was only a matter of time. It did recover a bit, but in the end it just fell in a heap,” Fred told the Celt.
However the tree, in a way, still lives on.
“I have a few saplings growing from conkers that my grandchildren got from the tree, so I suppose you could say that the cycle of life continues.” Fred said that a land survey from 1809 shows the tree was established at that stage.
“I would love get a disk off the tree and make a three legged stool, so it could be kept alive in another way.”
The photos published here also appeared on the Dún An Rí Grand Gardens Restoration Facebook page and generated a huge emotional reaction.
 

‘Gone forever’

Lee-Ann O'Reilly who was in the park on Friday last, commented: “I was there, it sounded like gunshot as it took its final bow... Thank God nobody was hurt.
“This was my third time passing it on Friday, first time a man with a buggy was under it and second time a large group of children on a tour... it's almost like it knew when to fall.”
Jo Mullins commented that a tree cherished by many generations is “gone forever only to live in our memories”. “So so sad that my grand children will never experience a day under this fabulous tree,” she added.
Peter Yorke said: “It held a place in many people’s hearts. Myself as a child climbed on that out stretched limb, scared I may fall but steadied by my father's hand.”