This is the only tree species native to Ireland but not also native to Britain. 'Fionncholl Gaelach' is endemic and widely scattered in tiny populations of just a few trees across Ireland. It grows on carboniferous limestone cliffs, lake shores, gorges and rocky pastures, mostly in lowlands (to 330m), and occasionally in manmade landscapes.

The greatest concentration is in central Ireland, but specimens are found everywhere except the far south-west.

Syn. Sorbus hibernica. A sexual triploid, derived from a cross between Aria edulis and A. porrigentiformis, although neither are native to Ireland so true origin a mystery. Thought to be quite short-lived.

Small (7m). Bark grey-brown, smooth. Leaves elliptic to obovate, 7-11cm, unlobed, with an obtuse to rounded apex, mid or light green above, densely grey-white downy below, with 18-24 veins and serrate to weakly biserrate margins of crowded forward-pointing teeth, on an 8-20mm petiole. Flowers white with elliptical petals in a dense domed 8cm inflorescence (May-June). Fruit a pome (11-15mm), wider than long, deep red with a few basal white lenticels (August-October). Common Whitebeam differs (locally): more veins, more spherical fruit.