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Farmer Martin Walsh (44) of Clogher, Westport, Co Mayo, has been charged with 35 charges relating to animal welfare and cruelty after a number of sheep were found dead on his farm.
A sitting at Castlebar District Court on Tuesday 16 April heard how gardaí in Castlebar received a call from neighbours of Mr Walsh on 16 March 2018 to raise concerns regarding sheep owned by Walsh in Kilkelly, Co Mayo.
Grass and feed
On investigation of the site on 17 March 2018, the court was told by prosecuting counsel Patrick Reynolds that Garda O’Caheny, in the company of Department veterinary inspector Peter Byrnes, found 35 dead sheep and that the remaining sheep did not have “grass and feed available” to them.
Mr Walsh entered a plea of “not guilty”, and, speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal after the court hearing, said that he intended to prove that his sheep had not been ill-treated.
He feels the Department acted in a heavy-handed manner, seizing 414 sheep from his farm on 30 March 2018.
Weather
Mr Walsh rents roughly 300ac of fragmented farmland in the Castlebar area and pointed out that weather conditions had been tough for all farmers in spring last year, with knackeries reporting above-average death figures for sheep and cattle. He maintains that adequate compensation has not been paid by the Department for the sheep, leaving him and his family in a difficult financial situation over a year after the incident.
In his opinion, the farmer feels that Department staff have acted in an intimidating manner, with Inspector Byrnes calling to his family home with two gardaí in attendance in February this year.
On conviction on indictment, Mr Walsh faces a fine not exceeding €250,000 or five years in prison. The case is ongoing.
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