Six trees that were planted in the early 1930s along a road in Glasnevin, north Dublin were cut down by Dublin City Council (DCC) on Wednesday.
The large lime trees on St Canice's Road, Glasnevin, had been planted on a narrow footpath and were cut down by council staff due to problems caused by their roots.
The decision from the council followed complaints from a wheelchair user in relation to the condition of the footpath.
Local residents had protested the council decision to fell the mature trees, calling instead for the local authority to repair the damage caused to the footpath.
In a statement on Wednesday, a DCC spokeswoman confirmed the six trees were being removed.
The narrow footpath was described by the council as a “hostile environment”, which had led to “signs of decline including die-back, decay and cavities” in the trees.
“The trees have been surveyed and re-surveyed at the request of the residents and this has identified many defects in the trees and recommended replacing the six trees,” the spokeswoman said.
“The Parks Service has committed to replanting on the road as soon as is practicable with smaller tree species however re-planting may not be possible for a season or two until the stumps and roots of the existing trees have degraded sufficiently to allow for replanting,” she said.
