Here’s a sad story:

Lord Conway built a large castle in Portmore, County Antrim [in what is now Northern Ireland], close to Portmore Lough, in 1664.

The ancient oak, known as “the ornament tree”, was pushed over by a strong wind when standing on the grounds of Portmore’s Castle on the banks of Lugh Bege.  The tree was already well-known for its stance.  Oak was cut, and the timber was sold.  We may infer from the measurements that the trunk’s width was 13 meters.

Almost all the trees were chopped down and sold as lumber for shipbuilding, and the castle fell into ruin.

And so began the decimation of the oak forests of Ireland.  The picture is of an oak tree.  Perhaps the Ornament Tree was as magnificent.

Someone was moved in the 1800’s to write a song about this tragedy … Bonny Portmore.  And I was moved to listen … “Such a woeful destruction of your ornament tree”

Here are the lyrics:

Oh, Bonny Portmore, I am sorry to see
Such a woeful destruction of your ornament tree
For it stood on your shore for many’s the long day
‘Til the long boats from Antrim came to float it away

Oh, Bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand
And the more I think on you, the more I think long
If I had you now as I had once before
All the Lords in Old England would not purchase Portmore

All the birds in the forest they bitterly weep
Saying, “Where shall we shelter, where shall we sleep?”
For the Oak and the Ash, they are all cutten down
And the walls of Bonny Portmore are all down to the ground

Oh, Bonny Portmore, you shine where you stand
And the more I think on you the more I think long
If I had you now as I had once before
All the Lords of Old England would not purchase Portmore

I found a glorious version of Bonny Portmore on YouTube, sung by a member of Celtic Woman.  The song and singer have told me to learn the words … and sing them for people.

And so I will

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=k6vQZKNJ7Lw&si=WwCU2n5m3nMD9qpw