Farmers in Tipperary going on armed patrol at night amid burglary fears (Report)

The claims come in the wake of a spate of burglaries in the county of late.

A farmer in Tipperary has claimed that farmers in the county have been conducting armed patrols at night amid fears of burglaries. Clive Clarke from Barna in Tipperary told Newstalk Breakfast that licensed firearm holders in Tipperary have been patrolling their farms at night in order to safeguard their farms from a spate of recent burglaries in the area. Clarke told Newstalk that his own farm has been broken into six times of late, including as recently as this Tuesday, when raiders made away with items to the value of €13,000, including trailers and quad bikes, from his shed. “In our area and in several other areas farmers are going on armed patrols at night,” Clarke said. “There’s licensed firearms holders actually patrolling areas of the countryside at night because they’re in such fear.” Asked about the possibility of someone getting shot, Clarke replied: “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of how soon. “It’s gotten to the stage where people are so terrified. After one of the robberies last year I spent months sleeping in the shed.” Roscrea Gardai are appealing to anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious in the area to come forward.