The sport of hurling has received a boost from the Blenheim Estate amid threats from ash dieback in Ireland.
The estate has supplied hundreds of ash trees, which are needed to make the hurling sticks, or 'hurleys', used by players of Ireland's national sport, to manufacturers.
Ireland's stock of the wood has been severely affected by ash dieback, a lethal disease first detected in the UK and Ireland in 2012.
One of the ash trees cut down on the Blenheim Estate (Image: Blenheim Palace) Richard McCarthy, an Irish hurley maker who sources ash for many of the country's top manufacturers, including Star Hurley in Kilkenny, has been working with James Hunter, rural property manager at Blenheim Palace, on a deal that will see around 1,000 ash tree 'butts' harvested from the Blenheim Estate.
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These will be used to make between 5,000 and 10,000 hurleys.
Mr McCarthy said: "I heard about the ash at Blenheim when James contacted me last year; we previously worked together on another estate where we cut wood for hurleys.
"Ash is used because it is very strong, flexible, and lightweight - everything we need for hurleys.
Hurling sticks, known as hurleys (Image: Blenheim Palace)
Hurling sticks, known as hurleys (Image: Blenheim Palace) "From what I've seen at Blenheim from my visit, I think the ash looks very good, so hopefully we can get good quality hurleys from it."
Hurling is the second most attended sport in Ireland, after Gaelic Football, and is played by around 275,000 people.
Mr Hunter said: "As part of our active woodland management this year, we have commenced a series of works to thin and clear fell several compartments suffering from the advanced stages of ash dieback.
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"Whilst the majority of the timber will go for firewood, it’s great to see some value being realised and a niche market being supported such as Richie's business with hurling sticks.
Hurling sticks being made (Image: Blenheim Palace) “However, I think it should be made clear that we are not clearing all ash from the estate, as we look to see if we have resistant specimens which may in the future be bred for ‘dieback’ resistant ash trees, to ensure they do not disappear from the British landscape forever."
Hurling is not the only sport which buys wood from the Blenheim Estate.
For the last seven years, Banbury-based English Willow has been sustainably sourcing cricket bat willow trees from the estate.
In 2018, the firm purchased and felled a significant number of trees from the estate - enough to produce around 2,300 top grade cricket bats - and replaced them free of charge.
Rachel Furness-Smith, head of estates at Blenheim Palace, said: "Working with English Willow means we can manage our willow trees in a sustainable and organic way, which is good for the environment, promotes biodiversity, and makes use of traditionally unproductive areas of the estate."
