You may remember the sagas of the big oak at Donaghpatrick church in County Meath, on the Blackwater river near the site of Telltown. That oak, of a venerable age, had to be felled because of possible danger to passers by. It was soon replaced by a sturdy young oak, the gift of a member.
On St Patrick's Day, Sunday last, reports a Meath correspondent, two more oaks were added to the church grounds. Saplings only, but specially marked out by being planted by two eminent figures, no less than the Church of Ireland Bishop of Meath and Kildare, Dr Walton Empey, and the former Dean of St Patrick's, Dublin, Very Rev Victor Griffin. The occasion was a Festival Eucharist to celebrate the centenary of the laying of the foundation stone of the present church building. (A historical note tells us that Patrick mapped out the church boundaries, and a timber edifice was erected. Many structures have come and gone since then. The site was in use in Pre Christian times, anciently associated with Tara and Telltown, it is said.
Anyway, the two churchmen, the Bishop, the celebrant, and the Dean (he will always be the Dean) the preacher, were not only powerful in The Word, they were mighty with the spade.
No casual, symbolic shovelling of some earth at the roots, for them. They slung spadeful after spadeful into the hole until the job was done. St Patrick, who learned to work on the land, would have approved. The saplings were brought by two young children. A few more post mature oaks will have to come down in the small wood by the church.
These two will be among many replacements needed.
On another subject what is moving in the plant and tree life? Blackthorn keeps on promising, but the white flowers can only be distinguished as a light shadow under the tight buds.
Flowering currant is breaking out said to smell of cats from near distance, but the buds crushed in the fingers give a fine currant flavour. The useless quinces are showing leaf breaking through. What happens every year will happen lovely light green leaves beautiful, graceful white flowers, shortly to be killed by the late and early frosts of this small river system. Every year.
Larch is moving, with its fetching little "roses". Snowdrops long flourishing, crocuses too, and daffodils now in abundance.
Mahonia, for some reason, three months late. Ah well, things are moving.