Ash dieback may increase hurley costs

Hurlers may have to pay more for their hurleys in the future following news of a disease that is fatal to the ash tree.

Confirmation that ash dieback has been found in Europe, the UK and Ireland could have serious consequences for the game of hurling.

Restrictions are being placed on the importation of ash while the cutting of Irish ash could be curtailed.

“It is a very serious situation”, according to well known Clare hurley maker John Torpey, a member of the O’Callaghans Mills clubs.

“It won’t threaten the availability of ash but it will make it more costly. If they are going to have to dry ash in another country it will add to the costs. Everything is susceptible to the disease which spreads on a leaf”, added Torpey who said he has “40,000 trees planted on my own land but they won’t mature for another 20 years”.

“Because of the restrictions that are being placed on the importation of ash, costs may increase. There are a number of options open to importers and these include taking the bark off the log and drying the wood below 20% before importation. In addition a certificate will have to be got from the country from which the ash is being imported that it is coming from a disease free area”, Torpey said.

According to Mr Torpey, who employs six people fulltime at his plant where they produce somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 hurleys each year, “there will be places where the disease isn’t prevalent and hurley makers will be trying to source those”.

Speaking in the Dáil this week, Deputy Michael McNamara said “as so many hurleys are made in Clare, it is an important source of revenue and employment”.

“The Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, visited the Seed Savers in Scariff with me and I very much encourage that work, particularly with the current threat to our ash plants. There are several hurley makers across Clare from Tuamgraney, Ogonnelloe, Broadford, Kilmurry, Kilkishen and Tubber. There is not a hedgerow in east or mid Clare which does not feature the beautiful silver bark of ash trees. I am very concerned about the threat posed by ash dieback. It is both a threat to our biodiversity and employment in Clare”

Continuing Deputy McNamara said “while the country should be self-sufficient in ash by 2020 hurley makers will have to import ash in the meantime. I understand from the regulations introduced by the Minister that any imported ash will have to be squared so as to remove entirely the rounded surface or be free of bark and have a water content of less than 20%.

“These requirements will impose considerable additional costs on hurley makers who will have to be given a subsidy if they are to avoid imposing these costs on consumers, that is, young boys and girls who play hurling and camogie.”

“Will a subsidy be made available to hurley makers to avoid them passing on additional costs to consumers?” he asked.

According to the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Deputy Shane McEntee “Ash plants and wood with bark imported from countries where the disease is known to occur constitute the most likely source of infection in this country.

Approximately 200,000 ash plants and 1,600m3 m of roundwood ash for hurley manufacture are imported per annum. We are aware of the possibility that other consignments of infected material could have made their way into the country and departmental officials are currently carrying out an extensive nationwide survey of forests planted with imported ash”.

“Continuing he said “On the supply of ash wood for hurley making, it is estimated that 2,100m3 of ash wood is required per annum. This equates to approximately 360,000 hurleys. Coillte, the State forestry board, supplies roughly 400m3 of this material, while the private sector provides a further 100m3. The remainder, amounting to 1,600m3 is imported. In terms of output, hurley making is worth between €6 million and €8 million per annum to the economy and it is clear that supply is a major concern for them. To help alleviate any potential supply problems, my Department has been in contact with Coillte, which has agreed to bring forward harvesting schedules for ash.

Deputy McEntee told the Dail that his department “met the hurley makers last week and will do so again. We are consulting the GAA”, he concluded.