We didn’t expect to hear a whisper about Christmas for at least another two months but it has happened and it’s all down to a bizarre story in the Mayo News this week.

The headline to the piece, which was thus impossible to ignore, read: “Man found in Christmas Tree after New Year’s Eve Drink.”

According to the Mayo News a man was found in a Christmas tree in a house in Ballina after drinking three bottles of whiskey with friends last New Year’s Eve. (Fair play to him for getting that far.)

Wait for it, it gets better.

The house in which he was found belonged to Gregory Connolly who lives next to a man called Pakie Bonner (of no relation to the Irish footballer – let’s face it that would have been too much to process).

The man apparently tried to get into Bonner’s house but was unsuccessful. He then broke into Connolly’s home where he took shelter.

On hearing the trespasser Mr Connolly’s partner called the Gardai who arrived minutes later. After searching the premises the man was eventually spotted in the Christmas tree without any shoes on. 

He was then pulled out of the tree and has since been found to have caused €600 worth of damage to both houses.

The case was heard in Ballina District Court last week but has been put back to October pending a probation report.

For more on this story, click through to the Mayo News website here.

A Garda removed the shoeless man from the Christmas tree.