Mossy woodland

The classic landscapes of Ireland are headlands and sea cliffs, lakes and streams, mountains, moorlands and peat bogs. One thing you don't associate with Ireland is forest. In ancient times Ireland was totally covered in trees but inevitably our old mate mankind took his toll and the woodland was cleared for farming, timber was felled for barrel making and ship building and particularly for charcoal for the iron industry. The result is that today Ireland has relatively fewer trees than any other country in Europe. But what remains are these rather splendid oak woods - perfect conditions for mosses and lichens plus rather wonderful ferns. An old tree stump looks as though it's covered in a sumptuous mossy table cloth, but you come down close and it's like being in a miniature rainforest, because you realise there's all sorts of different shapes. Some are like miniature Christmas trees, and these others are called filmy ferns. A verdant magical world in miniature.