Beautiful woodlands bore the brunt of Ophelia’s winds

It was a once-in-a-lifetime event — we hope — Hurricane Ophelia, roaring across Ireland on October 16, and it wasn’t until five days later that we could enter our local woods with any degree of safety, writes Damien Enright

The woodland path which we have always enjoyed walking is still impassable beyond the first 80m, and this only after some chainsaw work in the nearer reaches. Beyond lies, or half stands, a dense tangle of felled trees, especially of graceful myrtles, the elegance of which I wrote about in August 2014.

They are now a mish-mash of russet trunks and branches, their colour salient amongst the fallen beeches, spruces and other pines. These myrtles were substantial trees, slim but tall, 13m, bearing canopies of small, dark green, waxy leaves, and glorious crowns of white flowers.