This article is from page 5 of the 2012-11-27 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 5 JPG
THE possibility of a hurley shortage has been averted, at least for now, as Coillte have agreed to bring forward the harvesting of 40,000 hurley planks to meet the demand of manufacturers.
The state sponsored company agreed to a mass felling of ash on Friday after fears that Irish hurley manufacturers would run out of wood in the new year as a result of regulations brought in to prevent the spread of ash die-back disease or Chalara fraxineaposes.
The news will come as a relief to Clare’s hurley manufacturers – who between them produce around 25 per cent of the 360,000 hurleys made in Ireland each year.
The commitment from Coillte should provide hurley makers with an extra four to six weeks of raw material.
If the import restriction are not lifted at that stage, and no further new Irish ash supply has be located, hurley shortages could still be in place by the middle of next year.
“Coillte is very keen to play its part in helping the hurley manufacturing industry in Ireland cope with the current supply challenge. We are already harvesting ash in one of our forests in County Westmeath and have identified a number of other locations where we will harvest material in the coming months,” said Gerard Murphy of Coillte.
“We have committed to supplying 40,000 ash planks to the hurley making industry in the coming months to ensure the ongoing survival of this important part of our social and sporting heritage.”
The issue was also discussed in the Dáil last week with Clare TD, Michael McNamara (Lab).
“One hurley maker in Clare employs six people and makes between 60,000 to 70,000 hurleys per year. There are several other hurley makers across County Clare from Tuamgraney, Ogonnelloe, Broadford, Kilmurry, Kilkishen and Tubber,” he said.
Ash die-back disease has now be confirmed in Galway, Tipperary, Meath, Leitrim and a number of locations in Northern Ireland. The disease has devastated ash forests in central Europe and is very difficult to contain.
Ireland currently imports more than 10 per cent of all the ash used in the country but current targets suggest that it will become self-sufficient for ash by 2020.