A new community space is growing thanks to Athenry Community Council, who secured 1,000 native trees through Trees on the Land, a project developed by the Green Economy Foundation in collaboration with the Woodland Trust in Northern Ireland.
“After losing so many trees during Storm Éowyn, the planting of native trees in Athenry is a reassuring sign of rebuilding,” said Councillor Peter Feeney. He hopes the new trees will help foster a sense of community responsibility and environmental stewardship.
The trees and hedgerow, consisting of a mix of Irish species, were planted at Knockaunglass in the newly created community meadow. Aligned with Trees on the Land’s goals to restore native woodlands and enhance green spaces, Athenry Community Council hopes that the meadow space will become an ecological amenity that will contribute to local biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and community well-being.
The community council has owned the site since the 1970s, and over the years, Knockaunglass was used for summer fairs and amusement parks, letting the odd animal in, and construction storage. In 2024, Coffey Construction and Arrabawn assisted in the levelling and replanting of the site to turn it into a wildflower meadow. The addition of trees will help bring animals back to the land and encourage bird nesting.
Rob Jarvis, who spearheaded the project for the community council, said: “We have plans in the next few years, with the help of local groups and businesses, to have the meadow be a place for the public to come relax and practise mindfulness. It will be a place where people can walk their dogs, sit down, jog, enjoy yoga and mindfulness, and enjoy a peaceful place to take time out of their busy lifestyles.”
The site also includes 50 garden allotments available for residents to lease. In collaboration with Tidy Towns, the garden allotments have access to a greenhouse and community garden compost. Once open, the meadow at Knockaunglass will be another green space in the town for residents to enjoy.
