Hedge laying works in O’Sullivan Park, Mervue

Hedge laying works in O’Sullivan Park, Mervue

Galway City Council Recreation & Amenity Section are planning to carry out hedge laying and tree planting works in O’Sullivan Park, Mervue. These works are due to commence in the coming weeks and will continue into January.

The Aim

The aim of the work is to retain the original hedge, introduce new trees and have a long term sustainable solution in place.

What is hedge laying?

Hedge laying is a traditional countryside skill involving the management of hedgerows by partially cutting and bending the stems of shrubs or

small trees to create a living fence that promotes new growth. Please see this 2.5 minute video by the Irish Hedge Laying Association which explains the process Bing Videos. The Irish Hedge Laying Association will be providing advice on this project when works start.

Why are we doing hedge laying in O’Sullivan Park?

The old hawthorn hedge along the boundary with Kingspan is overgrown, leaning and is now a line of trees. It no longer functions as a hedge and it is ‘gappy’ at the base and top heavy. It was planted as a hedge which means it is too closely planted for a line of trees, and some of them have fallen over. This is a Health and Safety Risk which Galway City Council must address. Earlier this year a Plan for Nature was completed by an ecologist funded under the Hares Corner Project. The plan highlighted the need to return this hedge to its original condition.

Benefits of hedge laying

There are biodiversity and climate change benefits to hedge laying. Keeping an old hedge in situ is the best outcome for birds, insects, and wildlife. A newly planted hedge can take up to 15 years before it provides the same amount of value to birds, insects, and wildlife. The process of hedge laying ensures the old hedge is retained and regenerates quickly. There are also Climate Change benefits because the established hedge will continue to draw down carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil (this process is called carbon sequestration). A newly planted hedge will take many years before it can draw down the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere, therefore its important that we retain our old hedgerows where possible.

What will the impact of the hedge laying and new tree planting be for people using the park?

The hedge is now a row of trees approximately 5 metres high. The trees are therefore providing a visual ‘screen’ from inside the park of the view into the Kingspan site to the north. The hedge laying works will reduce the height of this screen to approximately 1-1.5m high and people will have a view of the buildings next door. This view will diminish over time as the hedge grows to 2m high, and the new tree planting grows and fills out. The indicative illustrations below show the likely growth of the hedge and trees in year 1, year 2, year 5 and year 10.

The other impact will be that there will be footpath closures along this boundary for a number of weeks until the works are completed.

The ‘Do Nothing’ approach

If GCC take the ‘do nothing approach’ the hedge will likely fall down, in full or in part, over the coming years. If this happens then planting a new hedge will not have the same positive benefits as retaining the original hedge (see above ‘Benefits of hedge laying’).

Location: O’Sullivan Park, Mervue and photomontage Views