As the damage from Storm Eowyn continues to be cleared, gradually our woodland walks are reopening to the public once again. Places like Carns Hill and Hazelwood remain closed to the public at the time of writing, but the clean up operations at Benbulben Forest Walk, Slish Wood, Dooney Rock and Union Wood means that all of these walks have fully reopened to the public. Elsewhere, Rathcarrick remains partially open but damage to the timber boardwalk up to Knocknarea means that you can only walk so far. That said, the original route to Knocknarea from the Glen Road is open, while workers from Sligo County Council deal with the boardwalk.

We went to survey the damage over recent days and the first thing to acknowledge is that the Coillte contractors have worked long and hard to remove fallen trees and make the paths safe for the public. That said, the level of devastation caused by Storm Eowyn is evident on many of the walks. Carcasses of fallen trees remain strewn on the forest floor, where they have been removed by heavy machinery. Elsewhere, evidence of tree harvesting is abundant, where large trees that fell across paths have been cut and moved aside.

At Union Wood, where we walked on Monday, taking the Ballygawley Road entrance and walking to the summit at Union Rock, you can see what remains of large conifers that fell near the entrance to the walk. Heading along the paths the damage seems limited but as the gradient increases, near some of the cycle trails, the extent of the damage becomes apparent. Where large trees fell, they have toppled other mature trees, having a domino effect in that area. The result is a criss-crossing of fallen trees, upturned roots that measure up to six metres across and no safe way to access these areas. So, while not all dangerous sections have been cordoned off, we should exercise common sense and not access any of these areas for now.

At nearby Slish Wood, the view from the car park as you begin the walk is further evidence of the violent strength of the storm. In a space of barely 100 metres leading to the Yeats Trail installation, many trees have fallen on both sides of the path. Some trunks were snapped in two, others fully upturned, massive lengths of timber strewn along the edges of the paths. While the paths themselves have been cleared, it is sobering to look left and right at what just a few short weeks ago was an entirely different view. In time the forest will no doubt reclaim some of the bare look but it does look like a scene from a disaster movie for now.

Across Lough Gill, Hazelwood remains closed. However, the day we went there, the tape blocking the entrance had been cut, the stile at the pedestrian access to the new car park had been damaged and the car park was full at Half Moon Bay. The public take their own risks when ignoring signs that a walk is closed. Hazelwood is a wonderful amenity, but people should obey the signs, exercise caution and of course respect property. 

As mentioned above, some of the walks will remain closed for some time. According to Coillte, the damage has been unprecedented in certain forests and they may remain closed for some time while they are made safe for the public. Staff at Coillte and Sligo County Council have been working long hours over the past few weeks with the ESB and Uisce Éireann to get the power and water back for homeowners in Sligo and elsewhere. Where trees had fallen at properties and businesses, in many cases teams of forestry contractors were at work to remove them. Rightly the needs of the public to get their basic facilities back was prioritised, and thankfully this work has largely been completed. So it’s only now that forestry teams can turn their attention fully to restoring the forests. So we would ask the public to please obey the information they find at each woodland trail. Not only is there the danger from fallen trees, but the works that will continue for several weeks will result in the movement and use of large forestry machinery, the felling of unstable trees and other works that will pose a danger to anyone in the vicinity.

Follow @SligoWalks on social media, where we will post updates from Coillte and Sligo County Council as we receive them, as well as information on other woodland walks, and stay safe.

For information on all of the walks in Sligo, visit www.SligoWalks.ie.