Rostrevor: Giant effort to save 'Finn McCool's leaning tree'

The tree is affectionately known as Old Homer

Work is under way to try to preserve a curiously-slanted 200-year-old holm oak tree in County Down.

Affectionately known as Old Homer, no one knows what caused the prominent incline on the evergreen in Kilbroney Park, Rostrevor.

But legend has it that the giant Finn McCool may have leaned against it.

In 2016 Old Homer was named the Woodland Trust's tree of the year but after decades of wear and tear its pronounced slant and sheer size threatened its future.

In recent times three large fractures emerged at the base of the trunk with experts predicting the tree could collapse within three years.

'Rescue driven by community'

In the summer, as part of a rescue plan, two tonnes of the tree's crown were removed in order to reduce its weight without changing its appearance.

However, the main part of the project required the installation of large metal supports from underneath.

The supports came in the shape of two huge galvanised steel frames which have been secured into the ground.

It is hoped they will add between 50 and 100 years to the tree's lifespan.

Councillor Mark Gibbons said the process to rescue the tree had been driven by the Rostrevor community.

A rescue plan is under way to try to save the tree in Kilbroney Park

"The man who really pushed this was local tree expert Paul Clerkin," he said.

"The tree is so special - Kilbroney is full of special trees but when you walk into the park this is the one that stands out.

"Nobody really knows for sure what caused the lean - some people say the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) leaned against it.

"Others say it was hit by lightning when it was smaller but either way the fractures meant it was going to eventually snap and fall."

Royal connection

The tree was planted in the 1800s by the Ross family which counts Major General Robert Ross among its ranks.

During the American War of 1812 he was the County Down man famed for burning down the White House.

More than a century later the land - and the tree - were in the ownership of the Bowes-Lyon family of which the late Queen Mother was a member.

It is thought that the Queen herself holidayed there as a child.

The man responsible for shaping the preservation of Old Homer was Newry, Mourne and Down District Council's grounds maintenance manager Jonathan Ellis.

"The tree is in good condition for its age but the lean created problems," he said.

"It has had adaptive growth to try and support itself but in recent years it started to deteriorate quite rapidly.

"The tree is very popular for local children to climb but there was an increasing health and safety aspect in that there were concerns it could collapse.

"But there was a huge public demand to save it."