Storm Éowyn-Fallen Trees in Barna Woods have been transformed into magical sculptures of a fairy house, an owl, an eagle, an otter chasing a fish, seating areas, and a wizened tree spirit, as part of a Galway City Council project to transform fallen trees into an enchanted route through the woods, funded by Creative Ireland. The pieces were created by chainsaw artist, ‘Fear na Coillte’, Will Fogarty.
Almost 100 trees were felled in January 2025 in Barna Woods, when Storm Éowyn swept through the country with unprecedented impacts. In the months that followed, Barna Woods was closed while specialists worked to clear the main footpath through the woodlands, moving fallen trees to the sides of the paths. A number of these trees have now been transformed into a magical path of sculptures inspired by nature.
Mayor of the City of Galway, Cllr Mike Cubbard, said, “Young and old will love this inspiring trail of tree sculptures in Barna Woods, along the main path through the woodlands. This adds another wonderful element to a great Galway City Council amenity, which also features a fantastic playground, pitches, woodland walks, and Knocknacarra community centre.”
Patrick Greene, Director of Services, Galway City Council said, “Storm Eowyn had such a detrimental impact on trees around the city earlier this year – in woodlands and in estates. It’s been a long path for the team in Recreation and Amenity to deal with the hundreds of fallen trees, and removal of huge root structures left behind. I’d like to acknowledge the team and Mark Ryan, Craft Foreman in Recreation and Amenity for coming up with this lovely idea to bring the fallen trees back to life, with a series of fantastic sculptures by artist Will Fogarty.”
Those looking to visit Barna Woods can see the sculptures along the main path through the woodlands, accessible at the Barna Road entrance – or by walking through Cappagh Park from the Cappagh Road entrance.
Other trees in the forest felled by Storm Éowyn have been left in place to protect those areas, and to reduce foot traffic and encourage woodland regeneration. This approach of leaving what has fallen within the woodlands provides ‘deadwood’, which is an integral and essential component of any woodland. In the process of decay, new habitats are created for a great variety of organisms, particularly invertebrates and fungi, and nutrients.
This gives natural protection to the woodland floor and allows native trees naturally occurring in the area, including Oak, Holly and Birch, a chance to emerge. Other woodland plants such as Wood Anemone, Bluebell, and Wild Garlic should start to appear in abundance over the coming years too.
Galway City Council will also be working with experts and government agencies specialising in native woodland restoration and management to develop a tailored long-term plan for the woodland, based on a detailed assessment of its ecology, canopy composition, potential for natural regeneration, and so on.
The plan will set out for example short term (5-10 years), medium term (10-50 years), and long term (50-100 years) objectives and a rolling 5- to 10-year schedule of operations setting out what needs to be done each year to steer progress towards achieving those objectives. This plan will look into what is required to ensure the viability of the woodlands for nature and future generations to enjoy. This will be funded by Galway City Council, not the Creative Ireland programme.