Coillte move on ash allays hurley shortage fears

Fears of a major hurley shortage due to restrictions imposed following the breakout of a disease affecting ash trees across Europe have been averted.

The State-owned forestry company Coillte has said it will bring forward the harvesting of ash trees to ensure that more than 40,000 hurley planks will be supplied to hurley-makers over the winter.

New ash import restrictions introduced by the Department of Agriculture to prevent the spread of the disease had raised concern among makers of the traditional camán that there would be a major shortage of hurleys over the coming months.