Trees at Limerick museum face the chop following health and safety inspection

A number of trees outside the Hunt Museum in Limerick city centre look set to be chopped down for health and safety reasons.

A survey has taken place on a large chestnut tree on the riverside of the Rutland Street museum, and it's emerged it has an infection.

It displays blight on the two main boughs which girdle and compromise tree soundness and its ability to remain structured.

The recommendation has been made to remove the tree which is in the garden of the Hunt Museum on the riverside.

Another tree - a lime-tree, located on the narrow shrub bed close to the main gated entrance, is also up for the chop, with a warning that if left alone, it will continue to grow and impact on the adjoining masonic structures.

If this happened, it will either likely fail due to instability, or present a risk to health and safety.

Again, the recommendation is to fell it.

Finally, a third tree, the London plane needs further investigation before a final course of action is decided upon.

Museum bosses have set up a consultation page on the internet, where people can have their say on what they think the best course of action is.

Hunt Museum director Jill Cousins said: "I find the removal of any tree very sad, they do so much for the planet. But we have to also consider the possibility of injury to anyone. We will look at the options of creating wildlife refuges of the trunks, rather than total removal or maybe making sculptures from the wood in situ."

Earlier this year, the railings outside the Hunt Museum on the side of the River Shannon were removed in a bid to open the museum up to the waterfront.

It’s hoped eventually this will be considered the front-garden and front-entrance of the popular facility.​

In the coming months, a new welcoming garden will be designed, with new trees, a large chess board, and potentially a memorial to those people who've lost their lives to Covid-19.

It is something that was one of the principal aims of former Department of Finance secretary general John Moran upon his appointment as Hunt Museum chairman.

To have your say, visit huntmuseum.com or phone 061-312833.