The Hungry Tree is a tree in the grounds of the

King's Inns The Honorable Society of King's Inns ( ir, Cumann Onórach Óstaí an Rí) is the "Inn of Court" for the Bar of Ireland. Established in 1541, King's Inns is Ireland's oldest school of law and one of Ireland's significant historical environment ...

in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. An otherwise unremarkable specimen of the

London plane London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major se ...

, it has become known for having partially consumed a nearby park bench. It has become a tourist attraction and is frequently photographed. The Hungry Tree was the subject of a campaign by

Green Party A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence. Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundation ...

politician Ciarán Cuffe to ensure its preservation.

Description

The tree lies just inside the south gate of the grounds of the

(the Irish

inn of court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They ha ...

) on Constitution Hill in Dublin. It is a

(''Platanus × hispanica'') of the type widely planted in Dublin in the 19th century. It has been estimated to be between 80 and 120 years old. The tree, described as an unremarkable specimen "mediocre in appearance", is in height and in girth. Hungry tree, Dublin

The tree was planted adjacent to a cast iron bench dating from the early 1800s. Over decades the tree has grown to encompass the bench. The tree is said to be "eating" the bench, which is how its name originated. The grounds of King's Inns are open to the public between 7 a.m. and 7.30 p.m. every day and the tree has become something of a tourist attraction. It is much photographed and has appeared on the cover of the tourist guidebook ''Secret Dublin – an unusual guide'' and in artist

Robert Ballagh Robert Ballagh (born 22 September 1943) is an Irish artist, painter and designer. He was born in Dublin and studied architecture at the Bolton Street College of Technology. His painting style was strongly influenced by pop art. He is particular ...

's 1981 book ''Dublin''.

Preservation campaign

The tree has been listed as one of the country's "Heritage Trees" by the

Tree Council of Ireland The Tree Council of Ireland is a voluntary non-governmental organisation. It was formed in 1985 as an umbrella body for organisations involved in the establishment, care and conservation of trees in Ireland, through the promotion of a tree cultur ...

. It has been listed largely for its value as a curiosity and tourist attraction rather than its age or rarity.

councillor Ciarán Cuffe campaigned in 2017 for the Dublin Central Area Committee to grant the tree a version of the UK

tree preservation order A tree preservation order (TPO) is a part of town and country planning in the United Kingdom. A TPO is made by a local planning authority (usually a local council) to protect specific trees or a particular area, group or woodland from deliberate ...

(TPO). Cuffe stated that the Hungry Tree and neighbouring trees "are a lovely part of the history of the north inner city. A bit like the

Blessington Street Basin Blessington Street Basin ( ga, Báisín Shráid Bhaile Coimín) is a drinking water reservoir in Dublin which operated from 1810 until the 1970s, serving the north city. It became a public park in 1994. History An earlier city basin had been co ...

, it is a hidden gem. I love it and I’d hate to lose it... They have witnessed history and they are all the more precious for their age." The application for the TPO was refused as it was considered that the tree lay within the

curtilage In common law, the curtilage of a house or dwelling is the land immediately surrounding it, including any closely associated buildings and structures, but excluding any associated "open fields doctrine, open fields beyond". In feudalism, feudal t ...

of other structures and by extension benefited from the protections already granted to these buildings. Consideration was given to listing the bench as a protected structure but was decided against as there could then have been a requirement imposed on the council to destroy the tree to protect the bench.

References

External links

*{{commons category-inline, The Hungry Tree, King's Inns, Dublin Individual plane trees Individual trees in the Republic of Ireland Tourist attractions in Dublin (city)

Description

Preservation campaign

See also

References

External links