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Memorial Trees in Ireland

In Armagh, a city in Ireland, there exists a wonderful oak planting project, called Rooted in Ireland. Set among the lush, green, rolling hills, this project has been set up with the noble aim of planting ten thousand oak trees. Further on in this article I will discuss the operation of the project, but first a little about the area. Armagh has been a settlement site for about fifteen hundred years, and is widely known as a religious, educational, and historical center. It is the site of the final resting place of Brian Boru, the legendary Irish warrior. Thousands of people visit Armagh each year, attracted no doubt, by the wonderful scenery, and abundance of things to do.

Ireland, and Armagh in particular, has a serious lack of trees. Once heavily forested, centuries of destruction have taken their toll, and Ireland is a sparse landscape, when it comes to trees. This is why Rooted in Ireland was born, and this is its' story.

The three directors of Rooted in Ireland, Patrick Nugent, Anne-Marie Nugent, and Peter Slevin had spent hours discussing setting up a business that was wholesome and beneficial to the environment, while also being unique to the area. Inspired by an article in an Australian newspaper about a similar project in Sydney, they set to work clearing and preparing the land, mapping out the planting paths, and finally, planting the oak trees themselves. There are currently 1700 trees planted, with another 2000 trees planned for the end of October. When the trees are in, they are then offered for sale to interested parties, who receive a certificate of ownership, and a frame ready photograph of their tree. The tree number is noted, and the person's name, and an inscription is entered in the tree ledger. So far, most of the purchases have come from people in the United States, the most notable of whom is an Upstate New York Mayor, Mr. Jim Sottile. In August, two of Rooted in Ireland's directors were invited to have a stall at the Federation of Genealogical Societies annual convention in Boston, Massachusetts. The response to the project was outstanding, with all the promotional material gone in a matter of hours. The website (www.rootedinireland.com) has seen a huge increase in traffic since August, and people have been dedicatings trees to give as wedding presents, christening presents, etc. Some have been bought in memory of grandparents and relatives who arrived in the United States from Ireland.

When the project reaches its' completion, there will have been ten thousand trees planted in total. The site will have been developed to make it visitor friendly, complete with viewing platforms, historical cottage, and a host of other interesting items. The project is being considered for funding by various government bodies, but the directors will keep going until the project is successfully finished. Rooted in Ireland is a labor of love...the directors financed the project themselves, and do not make any money from it. All the income currently goes towards planting more oak trees, and developing the site further, all with a common aim....to plant the future!.

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Rooted in Ireland is an Irish project that plants oak trees. They offer Memorial Trees, along with Irish Gifts online store. This article is available as a unique content article with free reprint rights.

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