Tree-rings, sometimes called ring plantations, were a common element of designed demesne landscapes in eighteenth and nineteenth century Ireland, planted in circular formations to ornament parkland, shelter a house, or mark a particular point in a carefully composed view. What makes them quietly interesting is that they were never purely functional; they were an aesthetic statement, a way of imposing a certain order and refinement onto the land, often by landlords keen to signal their engagement with fashionable landscape design.