Hardwood Focus
hardwood focus
Background
In 2018 a group of LTWO ltd. active broadleaves owners came together in Limerick, facilitated by local Teagasc Forestry advisor, to explore potential to add value to small-diameter hardwood logs.
Participants in the group found that following timely thinning, trees respond well with good growth rates. Many have utilised DAFM Woodland Improvement grant for their first thinning (see box below).
Firewood has been an initial ready market for most of the small diameter hardwoods. As the trees’ diameter and quality increases, there might be now an opportunity to access greater value markets for subsequent thinning’s. This is of particular importance for ash in the context of the threat from ash dieback. However these hardwood markets don’t seem to be available at present in the region.


hardwood focus
The Project
Following initial HF meetings in 2018 to explore and discuss possible intermediate hardwoods markets, two points became clear:
- The need to connect with forest owners who are at a more advanced development stage and learn from existing hardwood producers and processors in Ireland and abroad.
- The importance to share findings and co-ordinate with other Forest Owners Groups and organisations in Ireland and abroad to promote management and added-value to small diameter hardwoods.
With this in mind public funding was sought and secured under the newly launched DAFM Forestry Promotion Fund which did finance a range of HF group initiatives during 2019/2020.
The creation of this webpage is part of a programme which included a study tour to Wales, a number of publications, a video and concluded with a live Hardwood Focus webinar in collaboration with Teagasc.
This new webpage will continue to present feedback and results from the HF initiative and aims to start a timely discussion on hardwoods production within the region.
The HF project is assisted by Teagasc and GMIT Letterfrack.
hardwood focus
Hardwood Growers
Two examples of active hardwoods growers in the region and currently involved in the HF project are Jonathan Sykes and John O’ Connell.
Jonathan Sykes
Jonathan Sykes and his wife Betty planted 7 hectares of broadleaves (beech, sycamore, oak and some cherry) on very heavy land in 1993. In 2000 they planted a further 17 hectares of mainly oak, ash and beech with some larch and Scots pine.

The plantations have been well managed for the early years and first thinning was carried out through a Woodland Improvement scheme. It included the removal of much of the larch for fence posts, identification of PCT trees and selective thinning. The thinning’s were mostly converted to firewood and used to heat the house on site which is used as tourist accommodation for groups of up to 25 guests. The timber boiler has substituted oil burning and saves up to €20,000 per annum. The firewood is all dried in a polytunnel, known as the “solar kiln “.

Many mature trees up to 300 years old on the property have been retained, while some, particularly the windblown trees, were sawmilled on site and used in the restoration of the Medieval Tower house at Springfield castle.


In 2015 Jonathan won the best newcomer award in the RDS Forest Service forestry awards. As the hardwood logs size have developed , following thinning, Jonathan has invested by buying a Logosol band sawmill to try to add value to the best trees and many new ideas for potential products are being researched. A second thinning will be carried out, in the coming months, with the help of the Woodland Improvement grant, and an additional 10 hectare area has been identified for Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) management. An application to the Forest Service for a CCF Scheme Grant for this area has also been made. Jonathan has partnered with Bildungshaus Heideland HVHS in an Erasmus programme that periodically brings forestry students from Germany to do work- experience and learn about Irish forestry. They are qualified in tree felling and plan to work in the forestry industry after their training. Jonathan is particularly interested in using forestry to help ameliorate climate change and to preserve wildlife.
hardwood focus
Hardwood Growers
John O’Connell
John planted 10 hectares of hardwood in 1995 on a brown earth /limestone site. The ground was ripped and species planted were ash, sycamore, beech interspersed with wild cherry, Spanish chestnut, field maple, Norway maple, birch and eucalyptus. John shaped and pruned the plantation in the early years. The first thinning was carried out through a Woodland Iimprovement scheme with a chainsaw and transported to roadside with a 20hp tractor and trailer with an electric winch.

Timber from first thinning was used as firewood for the home. The surplus was sold to neighbours. He has developed a 1.5 km pathway going through the plantation which is used to monitor progress and provides ease of access. John carries out all the work himself and was the winner of the RDS forestry and wood awards in 2002 and again in 2009.

In 2010 he was involved with University Limerick as part of a research project to investigate the viability of producing edible mushrooms (shiitake and oyster mushrooms) using hardwood logs, as well as growing truffles in a broadleaf plantation.

As a consequence of recent active thinning, trees are now growing vigorously. Over the last few years John has harvested some Hurley butts and is currently exploring added-value markets for his small hardwood logs. Currently John is planning a second thinning and he has applied to the Forest Service for Woodland Improvement second thinning grant. The plantation is rich in wildlife including red squirrels, jays, buzzards,pheasant, woodcocks (and various other birds) as well as ground flora and wild fungi (wood blewits, dryads saddle).
What we are facing
LTWO Hardwood Focus Group Video
This video was made by the Hardwood Focus group, who are members of the Limerick Tipperary Woodland Owners. The group, facilitated by Teagasc and in collaboration with GMIT Letterfrack , aims to foster active management of broadleaf woodlands and to explore new hardwood markets for intermediate thinnings. Funding was provided by the Forestry Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine under the Forestry Promotion Fund.
Photo’s of members at events & more
Knowledge Transfer Scheme
The Forestry KTG, is a scheme funded by the Dept. of Agriculture and has the aim of increasing the level of forest management activity among participating forest owners. It consists of attending 7 classes/events, within a maximum size group of 20 forest owners, overseen by a qualified forester. The topics covered will be set by each group at their first meeting and agreement of future dates/times of the remaining classes will also be agreed.
Because Forestry is a new crop/enterprise to Irish farmers, there was a clear requirement to provide a basic level to knowledge and empower them to manage their own forests over its rotation.
Contact Us
If you need any advice, guidance, or assistance regarding your
Forestry ownership please contact us.