The destruction of Ireland’s old forests and wetlands foreshadowed what would later happen in Australia and New Zealand.

Deforestation in Ireland began with the integration of farming into Neolithic society (4000 BC), accelerating later under British colonial demands for greater food production and timber. By 1600, less than 20% of Ireland’s forests remained, with further decline continuing into the 1800s.

The introduction of English common law gradually replaced the early Irish legal system. By the 17th century, Brehon law had largely ceased to be practiced, and many of its legal texts, including Fidbretha (Tree Judgements) were forgotten, lost or fragmented.

Some remnants of Fidbretha are thought to survive in legal texts, such as Bretha Comaithchesa (The Laws of the Neighbourhood), an 8th-century code that includes guidelines for the protection of trees and plants. Despite Ireland’s reliance on agriculture, Brehon law reflects sustainable values and care for native flora. These early laws provide a glimpse into the ecological and cultural values of early Irish society.

During European settlement in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the native forests and wetlands of New Zealand and Australia experienced a fate similar to those in Ireland.

My interest in deforestation is tied to my family’s participation in draining and farming wetlands in the Taieri Plain, southeast of Dunedin, New Zealand from the mid-1800s. In land conservation the term ‘pest plants’ is commonly used to describe invasive species that negatively impact native ecosystems. During the IMMA residency, I explored how diaspora altered cultural perceptions of plants in different environments.

Plants like willow, gorse, and bramble - seen as pests in the southern hemisphere - are deeply embedded in Irish folklore, where they were historically valued as resources for food and other uses. The residency provided a platform to reflect on these shifting perceptions and their ecological and cultural implications.

Supported by: Fremantle Art Centre and the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Regional travel generously supported by Regional Arts Australia.