A High Court order temporarily stopped tree cutting at Merlin Woods in Galway, Ireland, where residents say work that started as post-storm cleanup grew into something much bigger.
The dispute has turned the local forest into the center of a legal battle over biodiversity, public consent, and how far officials can go in the name of safety and restoration.
Here's what to know
The Irish Times reported that the High Court ordered the Galway City Council to halt tree cutting at Merlin Woods. The temporary order was obtained by Tom Flynn on behalf of Friends of Merlin Woods, and Judge Richard Humphreys said the case could be back before the court.
The council had the work carried out through a contractor after Storm Éowyn caused damage in January 2025, per the paper. Friends of Merlin Woods contends the operation expanded well beyond the removal of storm-damaged trees.
"However, subsequently it has become clear that the project is now to fell 15.41 hectares of Merlin Woods, almost half of the entire woodland, and with a proposal at some stage to apply for funding to replant the trees," Caroline Stanley, spokeswoman for Friends of Merlin Woods, stated in written evidence, according to the Times.
Friends of Merlin Woods says 3.5 hectares have already been cleared and that the council plans to cut the remainder of the roughly 15-hectare tract. The publication noted the group has also raised concerns about what that scale of removal could mean for the forest's biodiversity.
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More background
The residents' group said it initially backed the council's plan to deal with trees damaged in the storm.
"For the avoidance of doubt, the [group] unreservedly opposes how this plan is now being implemented, and never consented to it," Stanley noted, per the Times.
The council says native trees are meant to be replanted in the affected area, but Stanley's evidence said the replanting idea had been presented only as a proposal to seek funding "at some stage."
The group said mature woodland could be lost long before any replacement takes root. The paper noted Friends of Merlin Woods also said it hired an expert who raised concerns about the council's plans for the forest and whether the tree removal was necessary in the way the local authority proposed.
What's being done?
The High Court injunction stops any further felling while the dispute is examined, as the Times reported.
Before going to court, Stanley said the group asked the Galway City Council to halt the works so the sides could discuss the likely impact on biodiversity. That request did not lead to a pause.
Stanley told the paper that the impasse led to the group's next move.
"We feel that our voice has fell on deaf ears, and we have been left with no option but to seek recourse to legal action," she concluded.
Where can I learn more?
Similar disputes elsewhere have centered on who controls forests, what gets cut, and how wildlife is protected.
• In Victoria's Yarra Ranges, officials faced backlash after cutting ancient trees used by greater gliders.
• In Bolivia, residents warned a historic forest sale could put the Chiquitano at risk.
• In the Philippines, a sweeping forest policy overhaul ignited debate over private logging.
• In Argentina, judges drew outrage with a controversial ruling affecting Los Glaciares National Park.
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