A spate of sheep thefts has caused alarm among rural communities in west Wicklow. There have been reports of thefts from flocks in Hollywood, Dunlavin and Shillelagh. Farmers and people living in rural areas have been urged to be on the lookout for suspicious activity, particularly at night time. Tomas O’Connor, IFA county chair for Kildare/west Wicklow, said he had heard reports of several incidents in west Wicklow. “It’s very worrying for farmers,” he said. A spokesperson for Baltinglass garda division said investigations were continuing into two separate thefts of a substantial number of sheep in the area in recent months.