Galway City Council has said it is taking legal advice over the felling of mature trees without a permit in a public park in Salthill over the weekend.

Five trees, four of which were, in the council’s view, “significantly mature”, were chopped down in the park on Saturday morning.

Residents living nearby who questioned the felling at Salthill Park say they were verbally threatened, and by the time a community warden had arrived on the scene it was too late.

A city council spokesman said the action was “completely unauthorised”, that no permit had been issued for the felling, and that its parks department was “appalled”.

It said it was in consultation with the Garda and its law agents on pursuing the matter.

Dalysfort Road residents had made representations to Galway City Council in 2003 and 2004 to ensure the trees were preserved.

They were estimated to be about a century old.

European Capital of Culture

The felling occurred less than 24 hours after Galway secured the European Capital of Culture title for 2020.

Galway was also recently confirmed by the European Commission as its “European Green Leaf” city for 2017.