A spate of dog attacks around the country since Christmas has seen a number of sheep killed and injured. In recent weeks, dogs have attacked sheep in Waterford, Galway and Limerick.

Most recently, two sheep were seriously injured by dogs on Saturday, 6 January, in the Comeragh Mountains in Co Waterford.

In Co Galway, nine sheep were killed in three recent dog attacks in Rahogarty North, Brownsgrove, near Tuam.

The latest of these attacks happened on Thursday, 4 January, in which two sheep were severely injured and subsequently had to be euthanised.

The issue was reported to Gardaí and Galway County Council’s dog warden service, who carried out door-to-door enquiries in the area following the attacks.

Christmas attack

In Limerick, 24 ewe lambs were killed following a dog attack on 27 December, two days after Christmas.

The attack took place in Galbally, in the lowlands of the Galtee Mountains, near the border with Co Tipperary.

A Garda spokesperson said Gardaí are aware of the attack and no offences have been disclosed.

Limerick Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) sheep chair Eddie Moriarty spoke with a farmer who came upon the aftermath of the attack: “I was talking to a shepherd in the Galtee Mountains and he told me it was one of the saddest scenes he had seen for a while,” said Moriarty.

Moriarty, who is from nearby Anglesboro, said walkers not having their dogs on leads is an ongoing issue for hill farmers.

“There is constant annoyance with people not minding their dogs. Farmers have no problem with people who bring dogs with them on a lead or anything like that, but it’s a big issue people not minding their dogs and there’s a lack of understanding from people,” he said.

Dogs of all sizes can worry sheep, so it’s important all dogs are kept under control, Moriarty added.

“People are going out for a stroll with their nice little pet. The nice little pet mightn’t kill sheep, but he’ll run them all over the hill. The bigger dog will kill.”

“Sheep get exhausted, especially from now on when they’re in lamb – they get weaker,” he said.

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