A Massey Ferguson tractor was stolen from a residential holding on Millicent Road, Clane, Co. Kildare in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, 2026, gardaí have confirmed.

"Gardaí are investigating following a report of a theft of a tractor at a residential premises in Clane, Co. Kildare in the early hours of Thursday, September 17, 2026," a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána told Agriland. The spokesperson added that "investigations are ongoing."

What does the eyewitness account show?

A witness saw a black Nissan X-Trail, registration 06-D-71842, driving in front of the tractor and appearing to guide it along rural roads, Garda Órlaith Fahy of Clane Garda Station told KFM.

Three to four males are understood to have been on board the jeep. After leaving the farm, the convoy drove towards Downings and Prosperous.

That Nissan registration is now central to the inquiry. Investigators will work through:

• Sightings logged by residents along the route
• CCTV frames from farm and roadside cameras
• ANPR hits between Clane and Prosperous in the small hours

What are gardaí asking the public for?

The force wants anyone with dashcam footage, CCTV or mobile-phone recordings from the night in question to come forward. Clane Garda Station takes calls on (045) 868 262, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any station nationally.

Officers will also circulate the tractor's identifying details through dealer networks. Massey Ferguson machines carry strong resale value on second-hand markets, which is why organised removals remain a recurring concern for Irish farms.

How was the machine moved?

The escort pattern — a vehicle leading the tractor out of a yard — points to a coordinated removal rather than a spur-of-the-moment drive-away. A lead vehicle can pre-clear junctions, slow following traffic and shield the tractor's rear lights, lowering the chance of an on-road stop.

The early-hours timing shrinks the witness pool further. Lanes around Clane often sit empty between 02:00 and 05:00, giving a removal team a clear run to a regional road or a holding yard.

What is the separate Donegal probe?

Two batteries were stolen from a tractor parked outside what gardaí described as a "business premises" on Ballyduff Road in Lifford, Co. Donegal.

The burglary occurred between 6:00pm on Friday, September 18 and 1:00pm on Saturday, September 19, a 19-hour window spanning dusk and the start of the following working day.

Letterkenny Garda Station is leading that investigation and can be reached on 074 916 7100. Officers want reports of any suspicious activity, vehicles or people in the Lifford area during the window.

How do the two cases sit together?

The Clane and Lifford incidents sit two days apart in separate provinces, but their signatures differ. The Kildare raid is a high-value machinery removal conducted under cover of darkness. The Donegal case is a low-effort, battery-only theft from a parked tractor.

That mix matters for risk planning. Battery thefts can be carried out by one person on foot in minutes, while machinery raids usually require transport, an escort vehicle and a route already mapped. Both, however, exploit unobserved yards.

What should farmers review this week?

A security audit should start with the basics:

• Lock cabs and remove keys from ignitions
• Photograph serial plates and store copies off-yard
• Review CCTV coverage of gate approaches
• Fit a battery isolator switch to defend against the Lifford-style loss
• Check that GPS units inside higher-value machines remain active

Insurance documentation for each machine should sit with a solicitor or family member, not on the holding itself.

What comes next?

Both inquiries depend on the registration trace, dashcam footage and dealer-side intelligence. Gardaí are expected to issue further appeals as the September 17 CCTV picture builds in north Kildare. Watch local station pages and farming-group alerts in the coming days for updates.