After a fruitless search in Northern Ireland for a suitable specimen, the province had to turn to Scotland to supply a Christmas tree for the steps of Belfast town hall.
Apart from 1995 – when Bill Clinton donated a tree from the US – Northern Ireland has never before had to source a tree from abroad. Now, due to a shortage of satisfactory species, the 50ft sitka spruce from Galloway Forest Park will be the first of six bound for Belfast over the coming years.
Galloway forester Sandy White said: “The challenge was to find open grown trees which would have branches and foliage down to the ground. The next hurdle to overcome was finding straight trees with vigorous green foliage all the way round.”
Reg Maxwell of Belfast City Council said: “Large trees are scarce. Selection is critical as a number of criteria have to be met: size, form, a sound straight stem and at a location where a crane can lift and load the tree onto a lorry.
“The Christmas tree is in place for two months, so the method and process of removing it from the forest, transporting it and putting it in place has to be meticulously planned.”
