Tomnafinnoge Wood is a spectacular woodland, ideal for a walk at any time of year. It is a magical place where you connect with the past.
The River Derry flows through the woodland along a channel carved by water flowing from large glaciers at the end of the last ice age. Today, the wood represents only a small portion of what was once an enormous woodland that covered much of south Wicklow. From about 1,600 hectares in the 1670s, the wood now covers only about 67 hectares. Today less than 2% of Ireland’s land area is covered in native woodland, one of the lowest rates in Europe. The trees here were cut down over hundreds of years. A lot of wood went to make charcoal, a type of fuel that was used in the iron industry. Wood from the area is also thought to have been used in the rebuilding of London after the Great Fire in 1666, as well as in many famous buildings including Trinity College Dublin, Westminster Abbey, and King’s College, Cambridge.
More recently, a campaign succeeded in saving the remaining woodland and there is ongoing work to extend it through replanting. The wood is critical for native biodiversity and provides habitats for many different plants and animals including the woodpecker, red squirrel, pine marten, treecreeper, jay and many beautiful flowers. You can choose from a selection of signposted walks from the car park. The Railway Walk links back to the town of Tinahely.
Citizen Science
We have installed a repeat photography post on the bridge over the River Derry. Take a photo and help us monitor changes in the environment.