Media Pack

Monday 21 September 2026

Friends of Merlin Woods believe in transparency and engagement. After reviewing the material supplied by Galway City Council, it was apparent that there were questions to be answered about the arborist report and ecology report. The “North Wood” area in Merlin Park Woods is of high biodiversity value, and contains strong, healthy standing trees, a thriving red squirrel population, bats and pine martens, among others. Friends of Merlin Woods expressed concern that this was included in a plan to CLEAR FELL, and produced an analysis setting out the shortcomings of the GCC work. FOMW has never been in agreement in any way with CLEAR FELLING in Merlin Woods.

This review of the GCC’s work was conducted by Brian Fitzsimons BSc, MSc, MBA and Caroline Stanely, who has been mapping the habitats, ecology and biodiversity of Merlin Woods for 15 years. The findings were dismissed as “thoughts and ideas”.

The group consulted with veteran forester Dermot Houlihan BAgrSc (Forestry) MSIF, a forester since 1981; the very highly respected Dr Frances Giaquinto CEnv MCIEEM, the ecologist who produced Galway City Council’s ecology report; and Dr Emma Roberts PhD (Zoology), Project Lead on the Urban Squirrel Survey (2022–2023), whose maps are used in GCC’s research. The experts concluded that what was presented to the Council Executive by Caroline and Brian was correct: the gaps were real, the application of models was incorrect, and the conclusions were incorrect. We are indebted to these professionals, who validated and added to Friends of Merlin Woods’ findings.

However, the Council refused to engage further, and no feedback was ever formally received. The appeal is simple: do more research on the North Wood compartment, given its importance to the city.

It is important to emphasise that when Friends of Merlin Woods were engaged by Galway City Council on this work, the proposal was the removal of damaged or fallen trees, which in principle is the right thing to do to return Merlin Woods to its former state. Galway City Council still promotes the CLEAR FELLING as the removal of damaged and fallen trees. Please see the archive of documents on this page: CLEAR FELLING is not referenced in the material. This is disingenuous on the part of Galway City Council Parks towards the public, the media, Friends of Merlin Woods and local communities. The evidence is overwhelming that this goes far beyond the removal of damaged and fallen trees, when large compartments and canopies are being felled on an industrial scale every day.