This article is from page 17 of the 2008-03-18 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 17 JPG
NINE animals at various stages of decay were found in a shed at a west Clare farm when gardai and veteri- nary inspectors visited last summer, a court has heard.
Arising out of the inspection on June 11, 2007, Patrick McCarthy (46), of Cloughauninchy, Quilty, pleaded guilty to two charges.
He admitted permitting carcasses of lifestock to remain unburied in an open shed and also pleaded guilty to
cruelly ill-treating a cow, by allow- ing it to remain in a shed among nine animal carcasses which were at vari- ous stages of decay.
Sergeant Joe Hehir told Miltown Malbay District Court that he went to the accused’s farm accompanied by two veterinary inspectors from the Department of Agriculture.
“We went into a shed at the rear of the house. There were a number of animals in the shed at various stages of decomposition,” he said.
He said there were five animals
dead in one shed and four in anoth- ae
‘There was between four and six inches of slurry in the shed. There was one live cow amongst the other dead animals,” he said.
“It was a very serious matter. The animals were in a very bad state. I think Mr McCarthy let things go,” he said.
He explained to the court that the accused had inherited the farm from his father. He had been transferred to Dublin through work and had got rid
of most of his 100 animals. However he ran into difficulty, said Sgt Hehir.
“His herd started increasing. He was unable to sell them,” he added.
Defending solicitor Grainne Arkins told the court that the only difficulty was with the animals which were housed in a slatted shed.
“It escalated out of my client’s con- trol. He has 10 animals at the mo- ment and doesn’t intend farming in the future,’ she said.
Judge Joseph Mangan fined him €1,200.