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LAST UPDATE | 13 Dec 2022
A GARDA INVESTIGATION is underway after dozens of sheep were killed on a farm in Co Offaly at the weekend.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, local man John Healy claimed the sheep died after being attacked by dogs.
On Saturday morning, Healy’s mother contacted him to let him know that a lamb had fled to her garden, about a quarter of a mile away from the farm.
Healy then sent his sons up to his field to check on the animals. This was when they discovered the dead sheep “everywhere” on the farm.
He said his sons witnessed two dogs running away from the scene.
There were 120 lambs in the field, Healy said, and that 50 had been killed. In a statement gardaí said they were investigating reports of an incident in which around 25 lambs were killed.
“I never want to see what I saw there again,” Healy said.
Healy said he is “pleading” with whoever owns the dogs to “please put them down because they will kill again”.
“The dogs that came to me had one thing in their head and that was killing because it wasn’t hunger. There were no lambs ate, they were all chopped and killed,” he said.
He said the surviving sheep are “terrified” and he believes they won’t thrive going forward as a result of the incident.
Healy said he has experienced dog attacks over the years, but nothing on this scale.
“It’s devastating on our household, on our children. It’s just a nightmare,” he said.
Gardaí at Roscrea are investigating the incident.
Enquires into the matter are ongoing, they said.
‘Very distressing’
IFA Sheep Chairman Kevin Comiskey said in a statement that in another incident in recent days, 20 lambs were attacked by dogs in Kildare.
“The devastation caused by these attacks is shocking. For any farmer to go and check your stock and to find a scene like this is very distressing,” Comiskey said.
“It’s simply not good enough for dogs to be allowed to roam free and cause the level of damage that took place in recent days. We need stronger regulation around dog ownership,” he said.
Comiskey led a delegation to meet Ministers Heather Humphreys and Charlie McConalogue earlier this year and they put forward measures that are needed to curb dog attacks.
However, the IFA said it hasn’t seen progress on any of these proposals in the past number of months.
“The persistent failure of the authorities has frustrated farmers who have suffered significant losses as a result of dog attacks, and those attacks continue to take place across the country,” Comiskey said.
“There had been what seemed constructive discussions with Minister Humphreys and Minister McConalogue back in May, but we haven’t seen enough action since,” he said.
The IFA is calling for a single national database for all dogs in the country to be created that identifies the person responsible for the dog. It also wants tougher sanctions for those who fail to have their dog under their control at all times, and for those whose dogs are identified worrying/attacking livestock.
The Association has also called for additional resources to ensure compliance with the obligations of dog owners.
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Shatter apologise?? Some chance alright
Shines a bright light on the FG/Labour mafia, FF are looking like amateurs now and we won’t do anything about it!
No chance of Shatter apologising.
But if he dies, can he also sack Cullinan and Resign himself.
ENDA ARE YOU LISTENING ?
There is more chance of me shitting a Faberge egg than Shatter saying sorry
Apologise?? FFS he should have been removed and prosecuted under the data protection act when he used confidential Garda information on national television to attack a political opponent.
Well then, sign and share: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dismiss-minister-alan-shatter
But he should say sorry to a guy who did the same thing?
Shatter apologise? Never going to happen and Kenny going on about transparency you just know they are going to do a little as possible….
They say that the only honour there is , is amongst Thieves -& my golly amongst FF/FG/Lab. there are many !
They have robbed our Country and it’s Citizens of our dignity and our money too – when it was promised and given to the Bondholders and most Countries are laughing at us since then , as they would the soft touches that we are !
We have a Government Minister in Shatter , who has been complicit in a coverup with our most Senior Garda commissioner !
A Taoiseach , whose best buddy had his hand in the cookie jar of a “Charity” in the inner sanctum of FG !
Holy Jerusalem ! what more could come from Fianna Fáil , Fine Gael and the totally spineless Labour Party ?
It makes me vomit to think about them !
Indeed…while SF/IRA robbed our banks and citizens….
Shalom Shatter
@KKK: “while SF/IRA robbed our banks and citizens….”
Better to support a party which robs its citizens for its banks, right kris?
By the way, which members of sinn fein are you accusing of bank robbery?
Kris – of KKK – the original ‘one trick pony’ man !
Like an old 78 scratched record repeating the same part of a sentence and making absolutely zero sense – while locked in a maze prior to 1997 !
I pity you – a Chara !
The IRA robbed £27 million in the Northern Bank robbery which kind of pales into insignificance when compared with the €240 billion debt Fianna Fáil landed us with and with FG/Lab contining to service that debt by paying unsecured bond holders via our taxes that are supposed to be for public services. That’s the biggest robbery of them all.
SF just use balaclavas when theyre robbing – a chara
You must know Kris – KKK Were you a Recruit ?
Still haven’t told us which members of SF kris. Usual BS.
No Carraioch…but I reckon you were considering your love for all “Republican”.
We shall not forget at election time.
SF/IRA also murdered innocent civilians let’s not forget that but if you think that’s ok your sick and twisted.
Do the honourable thing………Shatter and Callinan RESIGN
Expecting a politician to do the honourable thing, & to hear it coming from the likes of Michael Martin.
Release the flying pigs!
He should be made apologise by Kenny or be sacked! This country is rotten to the core!
Alan Shatter has done nothing wrong, and should rewarded with a pay increase. Tax free of course.
Apologise? He should be walking
Yup, if you agree, sign and share please:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/dismiss-minister-alan-shatter
The least Sgt McCabe deserves is an apology.
His reputation, his professionalism and his integrity have all been questioned.
Not an easy thing for anyone to go through. He is a courageous man.
Where the lying ends the stupid, verbose jibes begin…
And pigs may fly!
Alan Shatter would probably get a panic or an Asthma attack if had to apologise .
He would start hyper-ventilating and a brown paper bag is all he would be able to blow in to….
Do the honourable thing Shatter and resign, and do Ireland a big big favour
Shatter should go and michael should follow him.
Apologise!!! More chance of Spud Jones speaking sense!!!
Enda always comes back at Martin with when your government was in power you failed to do this must be hard for Martin to argue back with that
I cant wait to hear that donkey of a man appologise !!
Indeed the real reason Shatter should be dismissed is the manner in which he has conducted a free for all with Irish passports, over 70,000 in three years all the while genuine Irish people born and educated here have had to leave the country, Irish passports paid for with Irish blood, not the blood of Africans, Chinese or whatever. It is treason, pure and simple, what would Michael Collins think of this man who now holds the office he once held?
Shatters family name was Sharonski, originally from Latvia, Shatter not just a name but a statement of intent for the Irish nation.
@david A
Well said fully agree , shatter has no business inflicting the indigenous Irish with mass immigration , he does not have the Irish people’s permission to do what he is doing , it’s a travesty and disaster for out little island that he holds the position he does
Could we stick please stick to the topic at hand. You can save the xenophobia for the dole queue.
Donnelly seems like a well clewed in man and has been great in the Dail.
There’ll have to be a steward’s enquiry if Michael Martin flogs this dead political high horse any harder.
John – are you and KKK brothers ?
Same old nonsense from you too – a Chara !
This demand for an apology coming from someone other than Michael Martin might get some serious attention but from this mediocrity of a man it means nothing.
“Do the Honourable thing”
From an Irish politician of all people.
It just shows how the biggest circus in town think of its citizens. We may be stupid to elect the people in the Dail but we are that that stupid to believe them. What evidence is there to demonstrate that one of these politicians has HONOUR. Please name one.
Looks like shatter and commissioner will have to go.
Discipline the high officers that inappropriately cancelled the points and put in new lad at the top.
I do find it highly disturbing that commissioner called them discusting while they highlight what’s now proven to be holes in system.
“Do the honourable thing”? Don’t think honourable is a word in the dictionary used by the main political parties in this country.
Starting to get sick of this blame Fianna fail white they keep spurting
Apologise??? Honourable??? Not words that are in the Ministers vocabulary.
That’s the problem with all these cumts
No liability for their actions but don’t forget the Gardai who came good once operated with that protection.
And the one who hide behind it well their kids or grand kids may not work those jobs and will be open to persecution from the protected classes.
Or Else What?
Maybe shatter just needs to go to the bathroom with the shats
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