Dawn Meats stepped up its legal action against protesting cattle farmers on Wednesday, obtaining an attachment and committal order in the High Court against one protester whom it was able to identify.
The farmer, a Mr Delahunty, is ordered to appear in the High Court on Friday.
He will be asked to explain why he is disobeying the interim injunction granted to Dawn earlier this week by the High Court.
It ordered named farmers to restrain from blockading Dawn’s Meadow Meats plant in Rathdowney and intimidating staff and suppliers.
It also included a penal endorsement warning that if the order was not obeyed, the named farmers risked imprisonment.
Counsel for Dawn Meats Lyndon MacCann told the High Court that 60 individuals were protesting at Dawn’s premises, many of whom the company could not identify.
IFA request
Barrister Patricia Hill addressed the court on behalf of the IFA, requesting a stay of 48 hours on any order the court might make.
She said the IFA was very concerned at the latest developments and that the situation was now very pressurised.
“Farmers have been brought to the gates by the Beef Plan Movement – which has now stepped back,” she said.
“[The] IFA has now been asked by farmers to get involved.”
The IFA wanted a stay to see if it could engage with both sides, she said. It wanted to seek a solution rather than see the situation further inflamed.
The IFA wanted a stay to see if it could engage with both sides
Justice Senan Allen said his court could not hear the IFA’s interjection, but he noted that he could contemplate the same matters himself.
Court orders
The judge said that the court had made interim orders and that it must have been obvious to persons of the meanest intelligence that these orders required them to stop obstructing meat factories and intimidating individuals coming in and out.
He said: “I’m mindful the fact that tensions at these protests are high. I’m mindful that it’s a difficult situation.
"But it’s the responsibility of the courts, when called on to do so, to enforce the law of the land. It’s important when doing so to act swiftly.”
He granted the attachment and committal order against Mr Delahunty.
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Dawn Meats stepped up its legal action against protesting cattle farmers on Wednesday, obtaining an attachment and committal order in the High Court against one protester whom it was able to identify.
The farmer, a Mr Delahunty, is ordered to appear in the High Court on Friday.
He will be asked to explain why he is disobeying the interim injunction granted to Dawn earlier this week by the High Court.
It ordered named farmers to restrain from blockading Dawn’s Meadow Meats plant in Rathdowney and intimidating staff and suppliers.
It also included a penal endorsement warning that if the order was not obeyed, the named farmers risked imprisonment.
Counsel for Dawn Meats Lyndon MacCann told the High Court that 60 individuals were protesting at Dawn’s premises, many of whom the company could not identify.
IFA request
Barrister Patricia Hill addressed the court on behalf of the IFA, requesting a stay of 48 hours on any order the court might make.
She said the IFA was very concerned at the latest developments and that the situation was now very pressurised.
“Farmers have been brought to the gates by the Beef Plan Movement – which has now stepped back,” she said.
“[The] IFA has now been asked by farmers to get involved.”
The IFA wanted a stay to see if it could engage with both sides, she said. It wanted to seek a solution rather than see the situation further inflamed.
The IFA wanted a stay to see if it could engage with both sides
Justice Senan Allen said his court could not hear the IFA’s interjection, but he noted that he could contemplate the same matters himself.
Court orders
The judge said that the court had made interim orders and that it must have been obvious to persons of the meanest intelligence that these orders required them to stop obstructing meat factories and intimidating individuals coming in and out.
He said: “I’m mindful the fact that tensions at these protests are high. I’m mindful that it’s a difficult situation.
"But it’s the responsibility of the courts, when called on to do so, to enforce the law of the land. It’s important when doing so to act swiftly.”
He granted the attachment and committal order against Mr Delahunty.
Read more
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