Cork City Council announces launch of second annual tree giveaway

Cork City Council has announced the launch of its second annual tree giveaway initiative, with an increased number of trees and an additional location.

To celebrate National Tree Week, which runs until March 16, the council, in partnership with Coillte and the Tree Council of Ireland, will be giving away 3,000 trees on Wednesday across Tramore Valley Park and The Glen River Park.

The giveaway, starting in both locations from 10.30am until all trees have found homes, will include native whips or saplings including alder, blackthorn, hazel, oak, pine, and rowan.

Speaking to The Echo, Cork City Council tree officer Thomas Kane said: “Last year’s event was a huge success. 

“It was very well received, so it was a no-brainer to do it again this year. It showed us the appetite is there.

“It’s essentially about getting the public and communities across Cork city to come together to increase the city’s tree canopy.

“The driving force for this is that a huge proportion of land and available space for tree planting is in private ownership, so we came to the conclusion that the best way to do this was to get the community involved by giving away trees every year as part of National Tree Week.

“There will be a lot of native trees there, stuff that’s suitable for the city. They all have a high biodiversity value [and] there’s a huge array of benefits for the long-term from the trees for the city,” he added.

“Not only do trees contribute to combatting biodiversity loss and serve important ecosystem and climate functions, but there is also an inherent value for people’s health and wellbeing attached to trees.

“The goal is to have this [initiative] run every year, and the benefits will be significant.”

Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, Lord Mayor of Cork, said: “I am delighted to see this initiative continue in 2025 after the huge success of last year.

“Now totalling 5,500 trees distributed [between this year and last], this is a significant number and certainly a worthwhile exercise. The benefits will be seen not only now, but for generations to come.”

Cork City Council owns and manages approximately 17% of the city’s total tree canopy. Since 2021, it has planted 15,000 trees, with a further 5,000 planned for this year.