In the early twentieth century when the first signs of a return to national consciousness after decades of Anglicisation and decay had begun to show themselves in the land, thinking men expressed the view that one of the first needs of the country was a covering for its nakedness, that the forests which once were the pride and glory of Ireland would have to be restored.

In Leabhar na hÉireann, the National Year Book, first issued in 1908 by the National Council of Sinn Féin, this question of reforesting the country was discussed at length, and ever afterwards ranked as a matter of great national importance. Some fourteen years later when what they called “freedom to achieve freedom” came by unsavoury means into the hands of some erstwhile Sinn Féiners they conveniently forgot the high ideals of their youth, and thought more of “factories” than of forests.

In the past wars for the conquest of our well-wooded, wealthy island home, it was not merely military exigency that prompted the English to burn down our forests. No country ever understood better than England that the heart of a land is crossed when reft of her forests, for, – and I am merely repeating an accepted fact – no country lacking its natural quota of forests has ever counted in the scale of nations. So thoroughly was England convinced of the truth that, not satisfied with reducing to dust and ashes our once great treasury of timber, she enacted a law without precedent or parallel in world-history, inhibiting any Irishman not a freeholder from planting upon his land one single tree.

And before the year 1800, how many Irishmen ranked as freeholders? Do not think I exaggerate. It was an offence for an Irishman to plant a tree. Before he could lawfully do so, he had to obtain the consent of his landlord, file a humble petition with the Clerk of the Crown, then await the decision of Dublin Castle. And if his petition were granted, and he bought and planted a tree, immediately it was embedded in the soil it no longer belonged to him. He dare not prune even a branch of it. The property in it passes to his landlord.

Wealth Untold

In 1938, a recognised forestry expert and true patriot, John Mackay claimed (and there has been to intelligent denial or refutation of his claim) that we could have a national forest of 3,000,000 acres here in Ireland, that the timber needed for pulping would come to maturity in 35 to 40 years, that the work of preparation for the planting would give immediate employment to 45,000 men and that from its 35th year, when the first year’s planting came to maturity, it would give “all-the-year-round employment to 140,000 men, apart from consequential industrial employment.” From the time the work of planting got well under way, he estimated that the annual cost would be £2,500,000, however at maturity, he pointed out, this national forest will pay in wages alone an annual sum of £17,000,000 or £3 a week for 52 weeks for 110,000 men, still leaving a rich return on capital.

It is becoming more and more apparent that the reforms and restorations must wait until statesmen come into power in Ireland, and until we are really independent. Men with the mentality of party politicians will never attempt seriously to carry out any national undertaking that will not show results during their time in office; anything that would not come to maturity for 35 or 40 years they regard as Utopian and unprofitable.

Some day men and women of vision, courage and patriotism will mobilise the free Republic’s resources for the task of restoring every sign and symbol and essential element of Irish Nationhood.