Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein president and ex IRA terrorist has revealed that he hugs trees. He hugged them in the garden of No 10 when he met Tony Blair, and he’s hugged them all over the world. He says;

"Hugging trees has a calming effect on me. I’m talking about enormous trees that will be there when we are all dead and gone. There is an energy that comes from the tree. The tree feeds itself up through the bark. I’m not really sure why I do it, to be honest. Maybe I started off by doing it for a joke, maybe I’m a druid, but all I know is it works!

"I have grown trees from seed. The most formidable trees I’ve grown from seeds are chestnuts. I have also grown sycamore, and my favourite is the ash. I think the fact that we import all of our wood for hurleys and camogie sticks is a disgrace."

From the Daily Telegraph July 5 2001