Trees

Eastern Road Cemetery

Trees in the cemetery include walnut, crab apple, elder, rowan, hawthorn and holly.  Inside the Eastern Road boundary wall is a row of lime trees.

There are several examples of Irish yew which, unlike common yew, has a distinctive upright appearance.

All Irish yews originate from cuttings of a single tree in Florence Court, County Fermanagh.  The tree is believed to be a mutation of the common yew and was found as a sapling on the slope of a nearby mountain by a local farmer in 1780.

Dissenters Cemetery

Laurel berries and leaves are poisonous.  The ability of laurel to poison was not appreciated until the early part of the 18th century and, even then, its power was disputed.

When leaves are chewed or damaged hydrogen cyanide (prussic acid) is released. Cyanide starves the central nervous system of oxygen causing death.  See link for more information  http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/atoz/prunus_laurocerasus.htm

Water distilled from laurel leaves has the smell of almonds and used to be a popular way of flavouring baking.  Deaths occurred when the liquid was accidentally used or drunk without being diluted.  It was also common to prepare a drink made up of one part laurel water to four parts brandy.  Long-term use was believed to have caused deaths.  See link for more information.

http://www.thepoisongarden.co.uk/blog/blog051111.htm