1,100 Native Irish Trees now planted in Westport

Employees from Aurora Telecom, Gas Networks Ireland and Circet Ireland recently planted 200 native Irish trees on the grounds of McBride Community Nursing Home in Westport to enhance the town's green spaces and help cultivate a future vibrant community garden for its residents.

Coupled with the 900 native trees that Westport Tidy Towns has already planted around the town – including at the Westport Community Garden Biodiversity Project – this brings the total to 1,100 trees planted.

Aurora Telecom, a division of Gas Networks Ireland that owns and operates an open access dark fibre network, in conjunction with its contractor Circet Ireland, sourced and donated all 1,100 of the trees. This biodiversity initiative is part of Gas Networks Ireland and Aurora Telecom’s social responsibility strategy to support the communities where they operate.

Employee volunteering is part of the organisation’s corporate responsibility strategy, where the aim is to deliver services in a sustainable manner that contributes to the protection of the environment while supporting the social and economic development of communities.

Aurora Telecom’s General Manager, Sean O’Donnell said:

"We are pleased to support Tidy Towns as this partnership reflects our dedication to environmental stewardship and community engagement. We believe in taking proactive measures to mitigate our environmental impact. By collaborating with local organisations like Westport Tidy Towns, we aim to make a positive contribution to the communities where we operate."

Aurora Telecom and Circet Ireland completed an extension of the Aurora fibre-optic cable network in County Mayo at the start of 2023 connecting a number of local towns, including Westport and Castlebar.

“We are delighted to collaborate with Aurora Telecom and Westport Tidy Towns on this biodiversity initiative," Damien Gallagher, Managing Director at Circet Ireland said.

"Together, we can make a lasting difference in the Westport community by fostering biodiversity and creating a space where nature and community converge.