Gardaí to launch operation to prevent raids on Christmas tree farms 

Christmas tree farmer Christy Kavanagh in Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow.

A seasonal Garda operation to prevent raids on isolated Christmas tree farms will get underway from Friday, as growers anticipate record demand for festive firs.

Operation Hurdle — a hugely-successful initiative involving nighty air patrols, high-visibility checkpoints and armed support units — will run up until December 19 in Co Wicklow, which is home to Ireland's largest concentration of Christmas tree plantations.