Mohill community outraged over beloved cherry blossom tree chopped down

Mohill residents are reeling after the felling of a much-loved cherry blossom tree and another mature tree near the O’Carolan Monument, a decision made as part of the town’s Public Realm improvement works. The removal has ignited widespread frustration, with locals mourning the loss of what they consider to be irreplaceable symbols of Mohill’s heritage.

Former Sinn Féin Councillor Séadhna Logan voiced strong criticism on social media, capturing the sentiments of many in the community. “The tree was a sort of a focal point in the town,” Logan said, calling it “one of the prettiest, most picturesque parts of the town.” 

Beyond the aesthetic value, Logan and others feel the tree was deeply woven into the town’s identity. “For a lot of people, it would be one of the major associations of Mohill town. You drive up through the town, you all have seen that tree,” he noted, adding that if one searched online for the O’Carolan Monument, “most of the pictures always had that tree as the backdrop.”

Confusion over the reasons for the removal has only deepened public disappointment. “Originally, there was the story saying there was rot in the tree,” Logan explained, “then there was irreconcilable root damage cited as the reason given in the report.” He described the council’s communication as “very poor,” with many residents questioning why they were not consulted or warned about the removal of a landmark so beloved.

In response to his concerns, Logan said he submitted multiple Freedom of Information requests to better understand the council’s reasoning and to obtain the report justifying the decision. “I’ve gotten conflicting information from different sources,” he stated, noting that it “wasn’t as straightforward as originally stated.”

The council’s response, provided to Councillor Sean McGowan by Padraig MacShera, Acting Senior Engineer of the Capital Projects Office, claimed the tree’s roots showed signs of decay, suggesting it would not survive much longer. However, this explanation has not satisfied many residents, who remember the tree’s full bloom this past spring.

Reflecting on the handling of the situation, Logan summed up the feelings of many: “It really would put you off politics when you see things like that tree being cut down and the way it upset people.”