Historic Athlone tree felled after being weakened by storms

by David Flynn and Adrian Cusack

An historic tree which stood next to St Mary's Hall at Northgate Street, Athlone, and towered above the top of that building, has been removed by the council for safety reasons.

The local authority said the tree had been weakened by recent storms and a decision was taken to have it removed in the interest of public safety.

The landmark Sycamore tree was felled by a contractor, acting on behalf of Westmeath County Council, on the evening of Tuesday, February 24.

When contacted about the decision to have the tree removed, a council spokesperson said: "Following on from storm events in recent years, an inspection of this tree was requested from an independent expert on behalf of Westmeath County Council.

"On foot of this advice, it was agreed, in the interest of public safety, to remove the tree."

When asked about the age of the tree the local authority confirmed it was "very old" and had stood for "at least 80 years" though some locals believe it may have been in place for even longer than that.

"In the inspection report received, it is outlined that the tree was well in excess of 20 metres high and was a Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). It is believed to be a very old tree, at least 80 years old," the council spokesperson said.

The tree was located close to the site of the former Athlone workhouse, which was subsequently used for vocational and third-level educational purposes and is now due to be developed by TUS and Westmeath County Council as a multi-million euro Digital Hub facility.