Various groups and individuals are interested in marking the millennium in some woodland context. The Government may have other plans: a monument. a new building. statuary. a medallion and what not. Some of the tree people will propose. it may be, a new plantation or plantations. Others, perhaps, have in mind the enhancing of what natural or semi-natural woodlands we have. A suggestion made here some time ago, that first we might in some arboreal fashion mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of this State, brought a response from a well-placed official, but no more was heard.
Would this idea be anathema to the Fianna Fail Government now in office? Not in the modern reading of our history which was, in fact, one of continuity. When Dev came in and saw what had been done, he went on to do more in the same style, generous to the officials who had been on the other side to him. The cynic might say that Dev was the best Free Stater of them all. If that idea fails nationally, and local bodies and groups feel like doing their own commemorating, so be it.
Now to the millennium. Just a few ideas. What about a planting of 32 large oaks in a suitable place? Large, already grown to some age. Slemish in Ant rim, where Patrick herded sheep, comes to mind, but politics would rule that out. Next best thing would be to plant such an array in one of the three Ulster counties which were left on this side of the Border at partition. More stylish, less contentious perhaps, would be the planting in any significant place in this State - an easily accessible place - of four giant oaks to signify the four provinces. Very few could object. The point, again, is very big oaks, already well grown. Stately.
And how do you get them, move them, and be sure they will grow on for at least a few more centuries? Well, 250 years ago or so, a great landscaper, Capability Brown, managed to do just this in various parts of Britain. He did not have the ingenious machinery we know today. But move huge trees and replant them he did. The oak does present special difficulties over many other trees, but, with a couple of years' advance notice, with rootcutting and pruning or whatever, but above all with our increased knowledge of the life and systems of trees, and with our tremendous machinery for handling trees, the operation is not so daunting.
If the Government doesn't have the specimens, private citizens might be anxious to donate. Just four of the greatest, in one of the most visible possible places. And just as a minor part of the celebration. On then with your stone pillars or whatever.