Timber 17, the Irish Forestry, Woodland and Bio Energy Show, is back in Stradbally Hall Estate next week. Stradbally is well known as a music venue, hosting events such as the Electric Picnic. It is also ideal for outdoor events such as next week’s forestry show as it is a level, dry site with a forest backdrop which is perfect for harvesting and felling operations.

The first event was held six years ago in the midst of the worst recession in living memory so the only way was up. David Wilkinson has kept the show on the road and next weekend’s event is the fourth in all, and the third in Stradbally organised by his Tree Life Production team.

Forestry has experienced ups and downs since the first show. On the plus side, the State-funded afforestation programme avoided Government cutbacks and the timber processing sector has made huge gains in exports. Also there is an acknowledgement in Government and elsewhere that forestry is not only an important industry in its own right but also capable of playing a key role alongside agriculture in promoting rural development and climate change mitigation.

“This year’s event is being marketed as Timber 2017 and will feature a wide range of forestry events and machinery demonstrations,” claimed David Wilkinson. “Exhibitors will be demonstrating machines manufactured both in Ireland and the UK as well as mainland Europe and the US,” he said. “A feature at the show will be the growing number of mobile sawmills which are a major part of home-grown timber usage where tree owners can have large pieces of timber ‘planked’ on their own properties for farm or house building use.”

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Full coverage: Timber 17