173. The Raggedy Bush
An Irish peculiar, discovered on a roadside in County Kilkenny.
Three kilometres south of Kilkenny on the Kells Road, one of Ireland’s very special rag trees grows next to a holy well by the side of the road. The Raggedy Bush, a hawthorn, was in excellent condition and festooned with rags when I visited. But note that rag trees are characterised by cycles of use, dormancy after having their rags stripped, and reuse sometimes years later, so you may not always find it clothed.
Species details
Hawthorn
Crataegus monogyna
Where to find it
R697 Kells Road, Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
///appraisals.generously.latter | 52.608708, -7.265747
Other hawthorns
I can hardly believe this is the first Crataegus monogyna I have featured here on the ’stack, but you may be interested in this altogether rarer relative.
Aiding your own Tree Hunting adventures
Since my book, Tree Hunting (a fine Christmas gift for anyone interested in trees, or indeed British and Irish towns and cities) was published, I have become aware of a handful of trees contained in its pages succumbing to one catastrophe or another. I have therefore decided to publish a public register of all the 1,000 trees, and I have also been sent a link by one reader who has made a Google map showing the location of every tree. Very useful – thank you Richard Harrison! If you become aware of loss, damage or a change I should be aware of, anyone is able to leave a comment on the Register, or if you prefer, contact me on the link below.
I will include notes about any damage, losses or changes to tree taxonomy on the Register, and I will update their identification or location details as I become aware of them.
This book’s life has only just begun and I look forward to the coming months and years as Tree Hunting, like the trees it catalogues, matures. I am confident it will remain relevant.
A few in Kildare too at Brigid's Well!