Northern Ireland

Storm Éowyn: Dark Hedges trees felled by the force of the winds

Four trees lining the road in Co Antrim were torn down by the force of the storm

Storm clean up
International tourists pictured the morning after the storm at The Dark Hedges. Presseye (Presseye)
By John Breslin

Four more of The Dark Hedges trees in Co Antrim are down, felled by the force of Storm Éowyn.

The near 250-year-old beech trees lining the road between Armoy and Stranocum became internationally famous after featuring as a location in the HBO television series Game of Thrones.

Storm clean up
Four trees along the route came down in the storm. Presseye

More than 150 of the trees were planted after 1775, but now only approximately 80 remain standing after the four came down during Friday’s storm.

Many were lost over the years to age and damage from storms, while six were cut down in November 2023 due to fears of a safety risk to motorists.

Hugh Russell 40 years in photography
Dark Hedges. PICTURE BY HUGH RUSSELL

The site is a tourist attraction, particularly after the airing of the popular fantasy television series. Tourists were back this weekend taking in the site and surveying the damage.

Work will begin on Monday to remove the four trees downed in the storm.