Seven oak trees for westport 1916 commemoration

SEVEN oak trees are to be planted in Westport – one for each of the seven signatories of the 1916 Proclamation.

Under an initiative as part of the Ireland 2016 centenary programme, all of the villages, towns and cities who have won the overall Tidy Towns award since the competition’s inception in 1958 will be awarded seven oak trees (Sessile oak trees) to represent the seven signatories to the Proclamation.

This, our national tree, is a gift to each community and will serve as a connection between the country’s past and our hopes for the future.

The programme of events and initiatives to commemorate 1916 encompasses seven strands, one of which is community participation. Tidy Towns committees are one of the best examples of citizen engagement involving the community and voluntary sector participation throughout the country.

Said Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys: “We want the Ireland 2016 centenary programme to reach into communities right across the country, so who better to help us with that than the Tidy Towns network. This tree planting initiative will leave a legacy for years to come in communities which have been successful in the Tidy Towns competition over the last 57 years.

“The trees will symbolise the seven signatories of the Proclamation, while also serving to recognise the huge contribution Tidy Towns committees have made to towns and villages across the country.”

The Tidy Towns unit of the Department of the Environment and local authorities will be in contact with each winning location in the near future to make arrangements for the tree planting.