In this interview I speak with Alan McCabe who is the Manager at Glaslough Tyholland Group Water Scheme in North Co Monaghan. We briefly discuss how Alan manages his own forest and his role as Co Monaghan representative on the IFA Forestry Committee including challenges surrounding ESB corridors in existing forests. Then we discuss the River Blackwater Catchment Trust who have a project to remove self seeded conifers off the heather boglands of Sliabh Beagh (which is in Monaghan, Tyrone and Fermanagh): we explore how they do this and why it matters.

Alan McCabe on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-mccabe-0485b7162/

The Blackwater River Catchment Trust: https://blackwatercatchmenttrust.org/

Glaslough Tyholland Group Water Scheme: https://gtgws.ie/
The IFA Forestry Committee: https://www.ifa.ie/sector-committees/forestry-committee/

National Park and Wildlife Service (NPWS) https://www.npws.ie/peatlands-and-turf-cutting/protected-raised-bog-restoration-incentive-scheme-prbris

forestrynow.eu

[0:00:01] Introduction & Alan McCabe’s Forest Management

[0:07:25] Joining the IFA Forestry Committee: Roles and Activities

[0:10:54] Committee Advocacy: Wind Blow, Timber Prices, and Owner Support

[0:14:00] ESB Access and Powerline Corridor Management

[0:19:25] Licensing Objections and Ministry Liaison

[0:20:49] River Blackwater Catchment Trust: Overview and Goals

[0:27:06] Peatland Site Description: Species, Geography, Significance

[0:29:50] Invasive Self-Seeded Conifers: Project and Impact

[0:34:06] Other Invasives and Habitat Challenges

[0:35:13] Physical Removal, Drone Use, and Safety Considerations

[0:37:30] Native Species Self-Seeding: Habitat Change Drivers

[0:39:27] Peat Extraction History and Bog Restoration Plans

[0:40:18] Advice and Priorities for Forest Owners

In this podcast I speak to Seán Ó Conláin about planting a 15 acre broadleaf forest in 2004, buying an adjoining mature high yield class conifer plantation (planted 1987) and the risks he took converting this block to continuous cover forestry. Seán explains his background and inspiration, management techniques, thinning interventions, underplanting, windblow of standing timber, observations around nature and enhancing nature on his holding and much more. Seán is a Chair of the Teagasc Forestry Stakeholder Group as well as a committee member at Pro Silva Ireland.

Field day report from Seáns forest https://prosilvaireland.com/autumn-field-day-2023/
Pro Silva Ireland at https://prosilvaireland.com/ or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ProSilvaIreland/
Department of Agriculture Food and Marine Forestry Information https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-agriculture-food-and-the-marine/publications/forestry-grants-and-schemes/
Sean on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/se%C3%A1n-c-1b24109/

Forestry Now
https://forestrynow.eu/

CHAPTERS
[0:00:04] – Introduction & Guest Background

[0:05:37] – Forest Structure & Oak’s Significance
Discussion about planting patterns, mixing species, the cultural meaning of oak in Ireland, site layout, and adapting to the local landscape’s needs.

[0:09:13] – Interventions & Spruce Management
Sean explains interventions since his trees established, including halo thinning, tending around oak, neighbor assistance, and applying for the Woodland Improvement Scheme.

[0:12:23] – Spruce Block Purchase & CCF Transition
Sean recounts the decision to buy an older spruce block, shifting from clearfell to continuous cover forestry, weighing risks, and starting the transformation process.

[0:18:56] – Machinery, Soil, & Harvesting Challenges
Challenges of using heavy equipment on peaty soil, timing interventions to minimize damage, and balancing harvesting with conservation values.

[0:19:37] – Deer, Wildlife, & Managing Browsing Pressure
Sean shares the rising impact of deer on regeneration and underplanting, failed attempts at fencing, and the need for collaborative local management of wildlife.

[0:29:04] – Social Value, Community, & Future Initiatives
Exploration of the social benefits of the forest, potential for community social farming, application to integrate habitats, and ambitions for wider involvement.

[0:36:06] – Advice to New Foresters & Learning Resources
Sean’s advice on planning access and roads from the start, sources like Teagasc and Pro Silva, learning from big estates, and insights on forest knowledge transfer.

[0:39:43] – Cultural Reflections, Succession, & Closing Thoughts
Discussion of Irish people’s deep cultural connections to trees, succession challenges for new owners, and Sean’s poetic closing remarks on the legacy of woodlands.

The fall out from Storm Darragh and Eowyn has been monumental for the Irish Forestry Industry. To get an overview of this I speak with Victor Barber - Victor's a qualified forester who began his career with Western Forestry Co Op and is now their Harvesting Manager based out of Sligo. He also farms and is a regular contributor to the Farmers Journal on all things forestry. We speak about Storm Éoywn, we try to make sense of why some sites blew down and some sites didn't, we discuss the challenge harvesting windblown sites and the arrival of international harvesting crews. Finally we talk through the export of timber in containers and how prices are holding up for the owners of recently harvested forests.

Western Forestry Coop: https://westernforestrycoop.ie/

Victor Barber's Profile: https://westernforestrycoop.ie/our-staff/victor-barber/

Victor in the Farmers Journal https://www.farmersjournal.ie/focus/forestry/planning-windblow-from-harvesting-and-sale-to-replanting-885052
DAFM Guidance on using free satellite technology to assess windblown forests: youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=Hqqy5sP8PzY
IFA Timber Price Survey: https://www.ifa.ie/market-reports/timber-price-surveys/
ITGA: Wood Price Quarterly: https://itga.ie/services/information/wpq

Forestry Now
https://forestrynow.eu/

Chapters
[0:00:01] – Introduction & Guest Background
Dermot McNally introduces the podcast, outlines the episode, and welcomes Victor Barber, the harvesting manager at Western Forestry Co-Op, discussing his experience and the episode’s topics.

[0:01:13] – Harvesting Methods & Services at Western Forestry Co-Op
Victor explains the evolution of harvesting and sales at Western Forestry Co-Op, including the control of harvests, contracting, and maximizing returns for timber owners.

[0:03:39] – Impact of Storms Dara & Eamon; Harvesting Crews
Discussion of crew numbers before and after storms, the increase to 11 crews during peak, and the significant industry disruption caused by extreme weather.

[0:06:07] – International Harvesting Crews
Victor describes bringing in Romanian harvesting crews managed by Dutch supervisors, their skill, adaptation to the Irish climate, and overcoming initial language barriers.

[0:08:05] – Wind-Blown Sites: Patterns of Damage
Explores which sites suffered wind blow, the lack of clear patterns, why broadleaf plantations mostly escaped damage, and how storm severity overrode usual forestry precautions.

[0:12:18] – Harvesting Process on Wind-Blown vs. Normal Sites
Victor outlines the added complexity and reduced speed of harvesting wind-blown sites, describing tangled trees (“bowl of spaghetti”) and the challenge for operators.

[0:13:51] – Forwarder Machines and Site Maintenance
Discussion on how, despite slow harvesting, forwarders remain engaged in site maintenance, especially laying down brash to protect soil in adverse weather.

[0:15:27] – Timber Recovery & Brash Management
The impact of wind blow on saleable timber recovery, the need for skilled harvester drivers, and the generally good outcomes despite damage and logistical hurdles with brash.

[0:18:10] – Timber Certification & Export to Europe/China
Post-storm oversupply leads to container exports to China/Europe; Victor notes certification wasn’t a deciding factor in sales this year.

[0:21:28] – Logistics of Exporting Timber
How exporting works: from forests to yards to ships, the roles of international buyers, and adapting logistics for safety and efficiency after the storm.

[0:24:55] – Timber Measurement & Pricing
Shift from weight-based to volume-based pricing; the challenges for timber owners, summer weather effects, and industry-wide learning on measurement methods.

[0:31:20] – Financial Returns for Forest Owners
Examples of net earnings per acre from wind-blown sites, with older plantations faring better and younger ones hit hardest by increased harvesting costs and price drop.

[0:35:32] – Future Outlook & 2026 Expectations
Expectations for the coming year: industry hopes for a reconstitution grant, continued challenges with pulp prices, and the need for support to restart planting cycles.