merrion street

Tree Week, 6th to 13th March, sees the realising of the Seven Trees for Seven Signatories initiative. The initiative was launched in September 2015 by Alan Kelly, Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, and Heather Humphreys, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht in association with the Tree Council of Ireland and Local Authorities, as part of the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme. All of the villages, towns and cities, which won the overall TidyTowns award since the competition’s inception in 1958, are being presented with native Irish trees to represent the seven signatories to the Proclamation. This gift to each community will serve as a connection between our country’s past and its hopes for the future. The programme of events and initiatives to commemorate 1916 encompasses seven strands, one of which is Community Participation. TidyTowns committees are one of the best examples of citizen engagement involving the community and voluntary sector participation throughout the country.
Minister Kelly said “The gift of trees to each of the TidyTowns winners since 1958 is in recognition of the efforts of local people to make their own community a better place to live in. The trees will serve as a permanent reminder of the 1916 Rising and the seven signatories to the Proclamation. This initiative celebrates many of the aspects of TidyTowns; volunteering, community participation and sustainable living, all of which are essential elements in winning TidyTowns. For nearly sixty years TidyTowns committees have worked together to champion liveable, vibrant and green communities and it gives me great pleasure to be able to recognise their efforts at this important point in our history.”
Minister Humphreys added: “I would like to commend the TidyTowns network for this really positive initiative, which is helping to bring the Ireland 2016 Centenary Programme to the heart of local communities. These seven trees will leave a legacy for years to come in communities which have been successful in the TidyTowns competition over the last six decades. They will serve as a fitting tribute to both the seven signatories of the Proclamation and the huge contribution TidyTowns committees have made to towns and villages across the country.”
Note to Editor: ESB Tree Week is a Tree Council of Ireland initiative which runs from 6th to 13th March 2016.
All trees gifted under this initiative hold a Certificate of Provenance, authenticating them as having been grown in Ireland from Irish seed.