You could reasonably say that trees are firmly rooted in Irish culture. The ancient Celts revered them, with sacred trees located in the heart of their settlements, rooting them to their home.
In today’s post we’ll travel back through Irish history, through the lens of Trees in Ireland. From the time before the era of the Celts, through to today, with a look to Ireland’s forested future.
Image: Spectacular roots of a native Irish tree in Baltrath Woods Co. Meath
But before we get to all that, I am delighted to host a giveaway from the fabulous folks at My Irish Jeweler.
To celebrate their new initiative that will see them plant one Native Irish Tree in Ireland for every order on their site, they have given us a beautiful Sterling Silver Celtic Tree of life pendant for one lucky winner.
But before I share the details of how you can enter our giveaway and win this elegant pendant, let’s take a look back through the history of Trees in Ireland.
Ireland Green?
Driving through the beautiful rolling green hills of the Irish countryside today or even looking at stunning images of the stark and spectacular Irish coastline on Instagram, you could be forgiven for thinking that this was never a heavily forested country.
The beautiful patchwork quilt of green fields of every hue, that greets any visitor to Ireland as they come in to land in Dublin or Shannon, is a relatively late addition to the Emerald Isle.
Ireland was once blanketed in lush green woodland. With the exception of the craggiest corners of Donegal and Connemara, over 80% of this small island was forested.
And it was this wooded landscape filled with majestic species like the mighty oak, interspersed with elegant birch, ash, hazel, holly and rowan that greeted hunter gatherers in Ireland around 12,500 years ago.
Trees and the Celts:
And it largely remained unchanged through to the arrival of the Celts around 2500 years ago.
The Celts revered trees and placed huge value in the food, shelter, and materials that they provided. The Tree of Life, or the Crann Bethadh in Gaelic, could be found at the centre of Celtic settlements.
It was believed trees could act as a sort of doorway, a sacred connection to the gods, spirits and ancestors.
Tree branches reached up to the gods, while the trunk and roots grounded in the earth connected humanity with spirits below.
The English word door might even derive from the Gaelic word for the most revered of all trees in Celtic society, an dair, or ‘the oak’.
Deforesting Ireland:
It was only with the waning of a strong Celtic society between 1200 and 1300AD, that saw the rich Irish forests starting to give way.
A growing population and the agriculture and grazing needed to sustain it required more and more land to be cleared. And so Ireland’s ancient forests began to disappear.
Deforestation accelerated in the 1500’s. The Plantations of Ireland and their English settlers saw Irish woodland as a valuable source of timber. And Irish forest cover declined to around 12%
But it wasn’t until the 1800’s and industrialization that the deforestation of Ireland reached it’s peak. Only 1% of the island's forests remained.
It was a happy side-effect for the ruling English class that the eradication of Irish forests also got rid of many of the hiding places used by Irish rebels fighting crown rule.
And with that, in the span of a few hundred years, 79% of Irish forest, long respected, protected and revered, was lost.
Reforesting Ireland:
And it is largely the landscape of the 1800’s that we see in Ireland today.
However with careful management Irish forests have recovered. They are now close to 11%.
But compared to the 30%+ of forest and woodland cover in Canada, much of Europe, and the USA, Ireland lags far behind.
But that number is still climbing and many organizations in Ireland are working as never before to reforest the emerald Isle.
My Irish Jeweler and Reforesting Ireland:
And it was this focus that inspired the team at My Irish Jeweler to get involved in reforesting Ireland, returning native Irish trees to the Irish landscape.
Speaking to the founders of My Irish Jeweler, Peter and Ciaran, they explained that,
“All of us here at My Irish Jeweler are passionate about connecting people, wherever they are, to their Irish roots, their HOME. The word HOME even features in our Ogham logo!
So it seemed only natural that we would go that little bit further for our customers, helping them literally put down roots in Ireland with each order of our beautiful handcrafted Irish jewelry."
“Our customers have their own piece of Ireland in our 100% Irish jewelry. And now they can feel happy in the knowledge that they are helping us keep our lovely island green.
We are very excited about this new initiative! Since starting in July 2019 we have already got over 100 native Irish trees ready for planting. We hope to plant well over 1000 trees by next year!”
More About My Irish Jeweler:
This attention to detail and focus on the customer is a hallmark of My Irish Jeweler. They pride themselves on giving each customer the personal care and attention they might expect in a bricks and mortar store.
And a visit to their website will wow you. With their stunning photography, the quality and craft of their iconic Irish designs is clear for all to see.
Irish and Celtic designs like the Claddagh, Celtic crosses, Shamrocks, Trinity knots, and Irish Harps sit alongside striking hand engraved Ogham and Gaelic pieces making for a truly impressive collection with something to suit every taste.
Their designs take inspiration from ancient Irish art, landscape and architecture, including, the Ardagh Chalice, the Book of Kells, The Giant’s Causeway, Newgrange, and the Tara Brooch.
And fans of Irish mythology will not be disappointed as they have designs that reference the Children of Lir, or Danu, the Celtic goddess.
These designs are carefully crafted in Ireland in a variety of precious metal options, including platinum; yellow, white, and rose gold; sterling silver; and palladium.
The Irish rose gold used in several of their pieces is sourced from the hills of Co. Tyrone.
They also have designs set with diamonds; emeralds; sapphire; ruby; birthstones; pearls; and of course the “Irish Gemstone,” Connemara marble.
Their jewelry is handmade in Ireland and thus bears the Hibernian Hallmark of the Dublin Assay Office, guaranteeing the quality of the materials and their Irish origin.
Each piece is express shipped in a beautiful keepsake box with helpful guides, printed on recycled paper, and an Irish postcard.
And of course they have not just pendants, but rings, earrings and bracelets that draw their inspiration from the Celtic Tree of Life.
My Irish Jeweler Giveaway:
And if you would like to have your very own Celtic Tree of Life you can enter our giveaway.
Just leave a comment on this blog post by Sunday, October 13th 2019. If you are looking for inspiration you could tell us about a favorite tree? Or a treasured piece of Celtic jewelry that you own.
A winning comment will be chosen randomly on Sunday, October 13th 2019. You can check out the terms and conditions for all of our sweepstakes here if you would like to know more.
The lucky winner will also be announced on October 13th, 2019 on this blog post so do check back.
Do remember to submit your e-mail. Don’t worry your email won’t be published or shared, I'll just use it to contact our lucky winner.
More About My Irish Jeweler - A Business With Strong Roots:
Launched by Peter Gavin and Ciaran Vipond in 2005, My Irish Jeweler is the latest incarnation of a family jewelry business that stretches back to 1947, when Peter's grandfather opened a successful jewelry store in Dublin.
In 1963 it was Peter's father’s turn. He established College House Jewellers on Nassau St., overlooking historic Trinity College. And after completing his jewelers training, Peter joined the business a year later in 1964.
He ran College House Jewellers for over fifty years before joining forces with Ciaran in 2005 to move online with My Irish Jeweler.
Ciaran and Peter now have a small showroom for visitors seen by appointment at My Irish Jeweler in the foothills of the Dublin mountains. But the bulk of their business is online with an international audience. As Peter says,
“I always enjoyed doing ‘mail order’ for customers abroad. With My Irish Jeweler, I hoped to bring our beautiful designs to a global audience.”
Get 20% Off At My Irish Jeweler For Their Birthday:
Well Peter and the team certainly seem to be doing something right! On October 8th, 2019 My Irish Jeweler will be celebrating their 14th Birthday.
And to mark the date they are gifting their customers 20% off all jewelry.
Be sure to check out their site on October 8th or keep up with what they are up to by signing up to their weekly newsletter, or following them online on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.
Please do share this giveaway with your family and friends who might appreciate a chance to win a lovely Sterling Silver Tree of Life Pendant from Ireland.
Or perhaps you may know someone who would appreciate the 20% discount available on October 8th. It's a perfect time for some early Christmas shopping.
Thanks to everyone who enters this little giveaway by leaving a comment.
Wishing Ciaran, Peter and the team at My Irish Jeweler every success with their wonderful business and their admirable efforts to share Irish Culture while reforesting Ireland!
Update – Winner Chosen On October 13th, 2019:
Our lucky winner has been randomly chosen using the Pick Giveaway Winner Plug-in for WordPress.
And the lucky reader is ….
Robin Diebold
I'll send Robin an email to help coordinate mailing of her beautiful prize.
A big thank you to everyone for supporting this Irish American Mom giveaway by leaving comments. And many thanks to the good folks from My Irish Jeweler for sponsoring this prize.
Slán agus beannacht,
(Goodbye and blessings)
Irish American Mom
P.S. Disclaimer Notice: I do not have a financial relationship with My Irish Jeweler. The links above are not affiliate links. I team up with Irish and Irish American craftspeople to help spread the word about their work, and to help promote ancient skills, culture and craft to keep our heritage alive and well.
I will always disclose to you if I have an affiliate relationship with a company, artist or craftsperson. Thanks as always for reading.
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Donna
The Celtic Tree of Life by My Irish Jewelers pendants are beautiful.
My husband and I just returned from a two week Ireland pilgrimage. We learned the story of St. Bridget, the fiery arrow. Her story is very encouraging and inspiring. She truly is a pioneer for women today. The mighty oak tree was very instrumental in the establishment of Bridget's Monastic Community as it was in County Kildare this happened, (Irish: Cill Dara, meaning "church of the oak").
I appreciate our Irish heritage and appreciate even more so today when I see and hear of company's like My Irish Jeweler honoring God and His creation.
Thank you My Irish Jeweler. Blessings to you, your families, your employees and their families for many more years of prosperous business done with integrity.
Kolleen McGrath
My heritage, my roots, my blessing,..not everyone is so fortunate to be Irish.
My paternal grandparents are from County Cork and County Waterford. Came to the US through Ellis Island. They're immortalized with a brick containing their names.
Never was fortunate enough to meet either...my Grandma Johanna died during the influenza epidemic of 1918 and my Grandfather died shortly before my birth.
Irish American Mom
Hi Kolleen - How lovely to immortalize your grandparent by sponsoring a brick with their names in Ellis Island. I love that idea. My great great grandmother from County Cork was also called Johanna. Thanks for sharing your family story.
All the best,
Mairéad
Irish American Mom
Hi Donna - I love how you call your trip to Ireland a pilgrimage. It sounds like you saw many magnificent historical and culturally significant sites while you were there.
All the best,
Mairéad
Jeff
Another beautiful offering! It is a very beautiful piece of Irish jewelry and My Irish Jewelry is a fine place to shop! Anyone who wins this piece will be very proud and happy!
Linda Antunes
Your jewelry is beautiful. I have been to Ireland and just loved the country sides. When I was in junior high and in art class I was always drawing trees and everyone would ask why. I would tell them because I love trees. It was just something about them. To tbis day I will still draw them and I am 71 now. Bless all of you and you have alot to be proud of.
Beth Baker
This is a beautiful pendant and beautiful story about Irish craftsmen. My favorite tree is the Live Oak tree, found in the southern states. It’s size and eerie beauty has always captivated me. A Live Oak stays green all year when most trees here go dormant in the winter months, it is a gentle reminder to me in the dark months of the blessings of being alive.
John McKenney
I’ve wanted to give my wife a tree of life pendant for a long time. This looks beautiful. Good luck everyone! 🍀
Austin Denman
i love the tree in my front lawn, provided excellent shade for reading
Bob Moore
So good to see a business operating with such integrity! And supporting the environmental health of our homeland!
Therese
Love this idea! Beautifully crafted!
Mary D
What beautiful jewelry! I come from the state in the US where a giant charter Oak tree is our symbol, and have always felt a "kinship" with trees. (At one point, I had the chance to visit the giant redwoods in Humboldt State park in California.) Thank you for this great post about the trees and for introducing us to My Irish Jeweler.
Irish American Mom
Hi Mary - I would love to see the giant redwoods of California someday. Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Donna C.
A Tree of Life sculpture was given to me and my husband as a wedding gift. I have always loved it. This pendant is beautiful. I did not know about the deforestation of Ireland and I have been there four times. Thank you for sharing.
Irish American Mom
Hi Donna - it's always lovely when a reader learns something new about Ireland from these blog posts. Many thanks for reading this piece about Ireland's forests and need to replant trees all over the island.
All the best,
Mairéad
Shannon winchester
THis on one of my favorite pieces. So lovely and so symbolic at so many levels.
Traci
Beautiful jewelry and a beautiful blog post. I'm so thrilled to see the efforts that are being made to restore the Irish forests. Please enter me in the drawing and I will definitely be adding My Irish Jeweler to my list for shopping! Thanks so much!
Amanda
Great article and a beautiful piece of jewelry from My Irish Jeweler! What a wonderful idea to plant a tree for each piece sold. I love this company!
Sandy Nolff
I have a Celtic Cross ring from My Irish Jeweler and I've worn it every day since I got it. It just gets more beautiful over time. This pendant is spectacular!
Emily
I have NO Celtic jewelry (yet)! I am glad to have a new resource with such ringing endorsements!
John Ongena
Thank you for the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful piece of art/jewelry. The items are all very unique and beautiful.
Mary Ellen Dineen Stegemiller
I have been a customer of Peter and his family since my first purchase at College House ,
Dublin in 1984. I have never been disappointed and I am still wearing all my purchases.
A lovely company to work with as your happiness with the product is paramount.
The Tree of Life design is stunning, I loved reading the tree history story as well.
Irish American Mom
Hi Mary Ellen - Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with My Irish Jeweler. Your review is so positive, I'm sure the folks at My Irish Jeweler will be delighted to read it.
All the best,
Mairéad
Vikki Boyd
So much beautiful information ❣️ Someday I will go to Ireland, I've been pulled to be there all of my life. Thank you for such amazing jewelry and all the stories and recipes.💚💚💚💚💚💚💚
Irish American Mom
Hi Vikki - I hope you do make it to see Ireland someday soon.
All the best,
Mairéad
Peggy
Beautiful works of art. My favorite piece of Irish jewelry is my claddagh ring. I lost my husband last year and didn't want to wear my rings on my right hand. So I bought a claddagh with black stones. This has become a treasured piece of jewelry for me. Thank you for the chance to win a beautiful piece of jewelry.
Irish American Mom
Hi Peggy - Sorry to hear you lost your husband just last year. I like how you are now wearing a beautiful Claddagh ring. What a lovely way to remember your husband.
All the best,
Mairéad
Mary
Thanks for the history lesson!
Clarice
Love the necklace. I love the symbolism of the family tree with strong roots
Ginny McGrath
I have been fascinated with Ireland and Irish folk law since I was a little girl. My grandmother told us stories of a beautiful and simple way of life. Her family was poor but in many ways richer than we are today. Family was everything to her. She was sent to America at age 16 to work for relatives so she could send money back to Ireland. She married and continued with the values of Ireland. As in most Irish families she held everyone & everything together. Her love Of Ireland was ingrained in all of us. How perfect to honor her Irish values with the beautiful symbolism of the family tree. This necklace represents all the beauty that my Grandmother brought with her and passed down to us.
Irish American Mom
Hi Ginny - Thank you for telling us about your wonderful Irish grandmother who arrived in America at the young age of 16. Many Irish immigrants, just like your grandmother, sent money back to Ireland so that others could come to America, or simply to support their families back home. Over the years I wonder how many millions of dollars were sent back to Ireland.
All the best,
Mairéad
Haley Sheahan
My grandfather was an Irish immigrant. He would go to America to work and then come back to Ireland to give back to his family bringing any resources he could. I don’t know much about my Irish heritage but it means so much to me. I’ve been baking and cooking traditional foods and I have the heart of an Irish. My culture and heritage are so unknown yet so intriguing.
Irish American Mom
Hi Haley - It's interesting to learn how your grandfather traveled over and back between Ireland and America. Two of my great grandfathers traveled back to Ireland after working in America. It's lovely to learn you have such a keen interest in your Irish heritage. Thank you for stopping by this little Irish American community to learn more about Irish culture.
All the best,
Mairéad
Nuala
I have knitted many cushion covers with the Tree of Life on them. My family loves them. I live in Canada but I am a DunLaoghire lass through and through. I'd love my very own Tree of Life.
Anna Wibright
I am very fortunate to have my ancestry rooted in Ireland. As the trees are firmly rooted so am I firmly rooted in the the love of my children and family. Your pendant is a beautiful symbol of this love. Thank you for sharing a bit of Irish history and for your work in the reforesting of Ireland.
Cheryl Barker
What a beautiful pendant! I don't know that I have a favorite tree, but I love trees in general 🙂 Love the ones that bloom in the spring, love the leaves in fall when they turn colors, love the full green of spring and summer trees, but also see beauty in the trees during winter as well. God's handiwork for sure!
Irish American Mom
Hi Cheryl - Whenever I see a big majestic tree, I always think of the the poem, Trees by Joyce Kilmer ...
"I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;"
Just beautiful.
All the best,
Mairéad
Patricia (Bodkin) Kacin
My family in Ireland goes back to Galway and the Bodkin family. I am so proud of my family who migrated to the United States so their families could worship freely. They have worked so hard to give their families a better life. I may never see Ireland in my lifetime but I see her and her people here in my West Virginia mountains, where there is a piece of Ireland within me. Ireland will always have my love and heart.
Irish American Mom
Hi Patricia - It sounds like Ireland lives in your heart. West Virginia is a lovely state. Just east of Kentucky so I've been there a few times.
All the best,
Mairéad
Karen D
My favorite is an oak tree, but there aren't a lot of them near where I live
Evelyn Edwards
I love all trees and have planted 11 on our property, two in memory of my parents. I would love to win the pendant!
Rose
I love flowering trees and I love this beautiful piece of jewelry. Someone will be very lucky 🍀 to win this. 🍀
Kelly D
I love this necklace. I purchased celtic wedding bands for my husband and I, years ago from Ireland on a web site that has since closed down. I love our bands though.
Jessa
Oh it's so lovely! Happy 'Birthday' to the good people who make such beautiful pieces!
Suzanne
I had an opportunity to visit Ireland about 5 years ago and hope to go again in the future. The necklace is beautiful and looks like it’s very well made in addition to having a great design. I will definitely check out My Irish Jeweler’s website!
Irish American Mom
Hi Suzanne - I hope you get to visit Ireland again someday. Thanks for stopping by.
All the best,
Mairéad
Marla Testerman
The jewelry is beautiful! I especially love trees in the fall with the changing colors!
Valerie
Our wedding bands are the Ardagh Chalice rings from My Irish Jeweler, they are amazingly beautiful! My favorite tree is the oak and I’m fortunate enough to have many on my property.
Manda Shank
My mother-in-law was born in Ireland and claims it as her own. She would love this piece.
Sharon Youngblood
My family and I visited Ireland this time last year. I have always be an admirer of trees all the way back to the huge oak tree I used to clime with my siblings as children. When we returned home from Ireland I realized many of my photos were were of the lovely trees we saw during our visit. Some of my favorite were at Lough Gur and surrounding grounds. Our plan was to make a quick visit on our way to the next town. We ending up spending the entire Afternoon walking around the many trails. It was so beautiful and peaceful there. Spending time under a tree enjoying it’s shade, looking at it beauty and listening to the story it has tell is a wonderful way to enjoy an afternoon.
Irish American Mom
Hi Sharon - Lough Gur is one of my favorite places in Ireland. There is such a mystical feeling all around that special lake.
All the best,
Mairéad
Penny Wolf
To win this beautiful piece would be amazing! No matter what a person's background happens to be,
we all relate to trees in our lives.
Linda Goodnight
First of all, the necklace is exquisite! Secondly, I love, love, love their plan to plant trees, having had no idea that Ireland was once heavily forested. When I last visited, the land was gorgeous but I saws mostly fields without many trees. Until this blog, I hadn't heard the importance of the tree to the Celts. Love the blog and the way you continue to educate those of us with Irish roots in such an entertaining manner. Blessings
Irish American Mom
Thanks for your kind words, Linda.
All the best,
Mairéad
Mary Ann
Thanks so much for your stories and history. Lovely jewelry! May the luck of the Irish be mine!
Linda Chrisman
I'm so excited to find your blog and a connection to Ireland. I'm scrambling to find connections to my Irish roots, pouring through my mothers old albums and photos, no longer do I have her input as a stroke has robbed her of many of her memories, and of the ability to reply verbally as she'd like to. But we will get there!
Irish American Mom
Hi Linda - I'm delighted you found my blog, and I hope it helps you connect with your Irish heritage. I'm so sorry to hear that your mother has had a stroke. Aphasia can be so challenging. It's nice that you are looking through old photo albums together. Good luck as you piece together your family story.
All the best,
Mairéad
Bridget Bolger
I've been following #MyIrishJeweller for ages now love 💚💚💚 all their work it's like each piece is an individual craftsmanship with expert work from start to finish you can feel the love that went into creating and making something so precious, my birthday was on the 19th of October and I seriously love to win this prize it'd be an honour to have one of your designs love 💚💚💚 Bridget Bolger 🤞🤞🤞🤞🍀🍀🍀🍀
Ally
I have (and always wear) my grandmother's silver claddagh ring, although it has knots in place of the hands, which I love. It's my favorite piece of jewelry!
Irish American Mom
Hi to all the wonderful readers of Irish American Mom -
Many thanks to everyone for supporting this giveaway by leaving a comment. I've thoroughly enjoyed reading each and every one of your comments. Thank you to everyone who shared their family stories, and their love of Ireland and all things Irish. The majestic oak tree seems to be a firm favorite with readers of this blog. I replied to some of your comments along the way, but please know that even if I did not reply to you directly I have read and treasured all of your lovely words and sentiments.
And a big, big thank you to My Irish Jeweler for graciously providing this magnificent pendant as a prize. I really appreciate their generosity.
Le gach dea-ghuí (with every good wish)
Mairéad