Dr Eoin Lettice: Cork's Monkey Puzzle tree is down but saplings and seeds may see it live on

The tree, felled by Storm Ellen, was a link to the city's past, writes Dr Eoin Lettice

The roots of the Monkey Puzzle tree which fell overnight during Storm Ellen at Jacobs Island next to the South Link road, West boundPicture: Eddie O'Hare

Storm Ellen has seen many trees damaged and uprooted during its swift and violent travels over the southeast of the country, none more significant than William Crawford’s Monkey Puzzle tree in Cork.

Native to South America, Araucaria araucana is a conifer and currently endangered in the wild due to excessive logging.