merrion street

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Andrew Doyle T.D. urged people to buy a real Irish Christmas tree this year as he visited Stephen Cowman at Parkmore Christmas Tree farm in Moneystown, Co. Wicklow. “At home we always make sure we have a real tree. It wouldn’t be the same Christmas experience without a real tree and all that goes with bringing it into the house, setting it up, the smell and the atmosphere. I see the Christmas tree farms around the country especially here in Wicklow and the 7 to 10 years work that goes into producing a good quality tree – the work is all year round, planting, shaping, spraying, fertilising, marketing, harvesting.”

Around 550,000 Christmas trees are sold in Ireland each year with 350,000 sold at home and about 200,000 trees exported to the UK, France and Germany. The industry is worth €21 million to the Irish economy.

The Minister added “I would also like to add my support to the Irish Christmas Tree Growers #lovearealtree campaign. To me it’s only common sense. Real trees provide a better Christmas experience in the home, they are better for the environment, carbon neutral and everyone who buys an Irish tree is contributing to providing jobs in rural Ireland for Christmas tree growers like Stephen Cowman, his family and staff.”

The Minister concluded by noting the risks Christmas tree growers face. “This business doesn’t come without its risks and none more so than the risk of Christmas tree theft. I would like to acknowledge the work of An Garda Síochána in carrying out Operation Hurdle, an initiative specifically aimed at combating the theft of Christmas trees in the approach to Christmas.”

Operation Hurdle has been running since 2011 and has dramatically driven down Christmas tree theft in County Wicklow.