*Project West Forestry covers nine sites.
MORE than 1100 acres of forestry across Clare and Galway have gone up for sale for €5 million.
The sale is expected to draw huge interest from investors across the country.
The Project West Forestry covers nine sites across Clare and East Galway. Lisney Estate Agents are offering the land for sale by private treaty with the price expected to rise above its €5 million asking price.
The largest parcel up for grabs is 88.9ha of land in Donoogan, close to Limerick City. A 44ha site is listed in Ballykelly, close to Broadford which is already extensively planted.
Another 44ha site is available in Lough Burke along with a 16ha in Lisdoonvarna. In Glenagross, buyers can avail of 40ha of forestry in the Cratloe hills. In the extreme east of the county, 37ha are available in Ballyknavin, close to the Limerick and Tipperary borders.
Lisney state that 90% of the land is covered by forestry with the remaining section being made up of open bog, lakeshore, roads and unplanted lands. In the sales description, Lisney outline “Sitka spruce is the dominant tree species, accounting for 75% of the forest cover. Ash makes up 9%, while the rest includes a mix of mostly hardwood species such as oak, alder, and sycamore”.
Ireland’s approach to forestry has drawn controversy in the past with many environmentalists criticising the lack of native species being planted in Ireland and the low ecological value of the sites.
Seven properties are located in Clare with the remaining two found in East Galway. The ash trees located on the lands are supported as part of the Reconstitution Scheme which deals with the ash dieback disease currently causing havoc with Irish ash trees across the country.
Approximately 18% of the Clare is covered by forestry according to research from Teagasc in 2023, clocking in at over 57,000 hectares. Ireland remains one of the lowest forested countries in Europe with only 11.6% of the country’s land area being made up of forestry. This is in sharp contrast to the vast majority of other EU countries with many boasting coverage of over 30% (EU 2020).
The government’s Forestry Programme 2023-2027 aims to address this discrepancy and has received €308 million in state support. It aims to “provide lasting benefits for many key areas, including climate change, biodiversity, wood production, and employment alongside enhancing societal benefits”. The plan aims to increase Ireland’s forestry coverage to 18% by 2027.
