For thousands of years the wood from the trees has been a source of material from which music can be made.  In fact the oldest musical instrument ever to be found in Ireland is made from the wood of a yew tree and was found in Wicklow in 2003.  Simon O'Dwyer, from Ancient Music Ireland joins us on the programme to talk about the reproduction he made of these 4,150-year-old set of pipes that have become known as the Wicklow Pipes.  Simon believes that music and musical instrument making was an integral part of Irish life - a tradition which is still important today

Paddy Cleere is one man who is carrying on this tradition of musical instrument making.  He is based in Tullaroan and what's special about Paddy is that he makes his guitars and mandolins etc partly from the wood of local Kilkenny trees.  Paddy talks about the importance of the grain for sound and strength of the instrument and about the types of wood that can be used.

Barry Comiskey and Micheal Somers are both foresters who play music.  Barry likes to play his tin whistle in the woods and so give the music back to the trees and animals of the forest.  Michael talks about the rare woods used in musical instrument making and highlights the importance of trees in every facet of our lives - especially in relation to music and creativity which trees have been giving to us for a least 4,150 years.

Trees: From Seed to Sawdust is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as part of the Woodland Support Project.