A Good Day for Trees
On the 8th of February, the Revolution team grabbed their shovels and got down to work. The plan was simple: to plant as many trees as possible at St Vincent’s GAA Club in partnership with Green Spaces for Health, run by local activist Maria Young, and some ingenious volunteers.
It started early in the morning on the Old Youghal Road, where young birch and hawthorn trees were being prepared for transplanting. Maria explained why choosing native trees makes a real difference.
Native trees like birch, hawthorn and oak have evolved alongside Ireland’s wildlife, creating habitats that support birds, insects and small mammals. These species thrive in the local soil, withstand Ireland’s unpredictable weather and require far less maintenance than non-native alternatives. More importantly, they help to restore the delicate balance of the ecosystem that has been disrupted by centuries of deforestation.
One thing stuck with us for sure:
These trees will be here when we’re gone. It is worthwhile to think about this today.
We carefully dug them up, loaded them into the van and made our way to St Vincent’s. This is one of the highest points in Cork. A perfect place to bring some life back into the landscape.
Maria also brought along a dozen oak saplings, grown from acorns collected locally. Only a few years old, these trees can live for 700 years. Add to this a mix of native willows and we had a solid selection ready to plant.
The sun was shining, the soil was soft and there was plenty of energy to get the job done.
Ireland and Its Trees: Filling the Gaps
Ireland wasn’t always so barren. Dense forests of oak, hazel and birch once covered the land, shaping the landscape and supporting a rich biodiversity. Over the centuries, these forests were stripped away, cleared for agriculture, shipbuilding and expanding settlements. Today, with just 11% of the country covered by trees, Ireland is one of the least wooded countries in Europe. The loss isn’t just visual – it has reshaped ecosystems, disrupted wildlife and altered the land’s ability to manage water naturally.
Maria made it clear why planting matters. Trees do more than just stand tall. They absorb excess water, reducing the risk of flooding in urban areas. Their roots stabilise the soil, preventing erosion and keeping it healthy. They clean the air, break strong winds and provide shade on hot summer days. But more than that, they bring life back to the land. The foxes that pass through the area will have better cover. Birds will find new places to nest. Insects, fungi and small mammals will return to the spaces created by the trees.
Each tree had to be carefully placed. Different species needed different conditions – some in wetter places, others further apart. Maria made sure we knew exactly what we were doing.
Birch and hawthorn, freshly moved from Old Youghal Road, went in first. These young trees had already proven that they could grow in Cork’s climate and now they had the space to spread out properly. Then came the oaks, carefully placed in the knowledge that they’d be there for centuries to come — willows filled in the gaps, fast-growing and tough enough to withstand the Irish weather.
All in all, it wasn’t all hard work. There was a lot of talking, a lot of laughing and a good feeling of doing something useful. The more hands that joined in, the faster things went. All 120 trees were planted in just a few hours.
Why Revolution Stays Engaged
Our team builds websites, runs digital campaigns and helps local businesses grow, but we’re also part of this community. Taking a few hours to help plant trees isn’t a big deal to us, but it adds up to something meaningful.
We’ll be back next year to do it again. And the year after that. Because if there’s one thing you learn from planting trees, it’s that small efforts today add up to something much bigger in the future.