Holy Fungus! Giant mushroom growing out of tree in Athgarvan

Locals have discovered a large brown mushroom growing out of the trunk of a tall tree in Athgarvan.

The fungus seems to have begun growing after a storm broke off a branch several metres up the trunk a number of months ago.

The extreme humidity of the current heatwave could have speeded up growing conditions.

The tall chestnut tree, which is more than 100 years old, is located in a green area in the quiet Liffey Mills residential estate in Athgarvan village.

Locals residents especially children have been fascinated by the mushroom.

It's not known if the fungus is edible - or it could even be poisonous to humans.

Experts say that fungi can grow in the bark of an old tree that has been injured by vandalism, pruning or storms.

A tree may be weakened by bark mushrooms and it could eventually fall and injure people or damage property.

UPDATE

One reader has suggested it could be a Bracket Mushroom (Inonotus hispidus) which grow in exposed barks of trees.

The reader emailed: "It is coloured red to brown and will drop off within a year. Common on chestnut, walnut, apple and London plane trees."