4,500 trees planted at Kilcullen's Field of Dreams

"When you come back in 20 years you can look at a big tree and say you did that." 

The comment from one of the adult helpers to some of the children present at the recent community tree planting day at Kilcullen GAA summed up the whole thing about setting down trees — you have to wait some considerable time for results.

Still, at the latest planting session — a joint undertaking by the club and Kilcullen Community Action — it was possible to see the progress of some 2,000 saplings which had been planted on part of the club's perimeter last February. The most recent event means that the club's Field of Dreams project has a total of 4,500 trees growing around the now much-expanded facility.

Once again the technical oversight of the tree planting day was by Catriona Taylor of Blessington Lakes Garden Centre, who advises on the 100 Million Trees Project which supplied the saplings. 

"There's really been a big change here since February," she told the Kildare Nationalist, looking around at the green sward that next year will see the 'dream' fully a reality — in February that had still been a sea of muddy topsoil. All the trees planted are native Irish species including rowan, birch, oak, Scots pine, crab apple, whitethorn and hazel.

With an investment of around €1 million, the Field of Dreams project commenced in February of 2023 to provide a second full-size pitch and two juvenile training pitches, as well as a skills arena and new car parking facilities. A 1.2km public walk and cycleway around the campus that's also part of the development was recently completed and is being well used by the community. Resurfacing of the old car park and the access road to the club has recently been completed with the help of project partner Kilsaran and €60,000 raised through a recent 'solothon' fundraiser.