This article is from page 21 of the 2007-03-13 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 21 JPG
THE sight of wandering cattle with big horns on a busy stretch of road near Sixmulebridge caused grave dis- tress to passing motorists, a court has heard.
Before Shannon District Court was Christy Grady, of Rath Beg, Sixmile- bridge, accused of allowing beasts to wander, at Feenagh, Sixmilebridge, on January 10 and 11 last.
Sergeant Con Ryan told Shannon District Court the defendant’s frie- sian bullocks were wandering on the road. It resulted in a lot of motorists getting frustrated.
‘He had been warned a few times about them. A lot of people were con- cerned. The animals hadn’t been de- horned,’ said Sgt Ryan.
He said the first report was made to Sixmilebridge Garda Station, at 3.10pm on January 10, from a driver who became “very distraught” on seeing what he described as “bulls with big horns”.
Sgt Ryan went to Feenagh, where he found two long-horned friesian cows wandering. He and another man moved the animals off the road.
A local farmer told him the cattle were belonging to the accused.
The following day, gardai received further reports, that cattle were wan- dering on the road near the mart at Sixmilebridge. Sgt Ryan found one long-horned friesian and put him back on land.
He said he met the accused and told him he would have to move the cattle. He co-operated fully with him.
“He undertook to move them. He is an elderly man. I don’t think he realised the significance of this. It 1s a busy stretch of road. He did move them the third day,” he said.
Mr Grady told the court he did not have cattle on the road at Feenagh – which was named on the summons – and for that reason he was not guilty.
His solicitor Caitriona Carmody said her client was adamant his cattle wouldn’t wander at Feenagh. If they wandered anywhere, it would have been at Ballysheen.
Sgt Ryan replied that the accused admitted to him that the cattle were Nhe
“T’ve seen Mr Grady on that road, tending to cattle and at that field,’ he nem
Ms Carmody said there was an ele-
ment of doubt. She pointed out that none of the complainants were in court and Sgt Ryan said they did not want to give evidence.
Mr Grady told the court that he removed one of the cattle to County Limerick.
“He was a bit wild. He might be used to mountainous country. They’d be used to be not confined. I took him to County Limerick and he hasn’t broke out since. He won’t ever stand in Clare again,’ he said.
Sgt Ryan said if the accused un- dertook to fence the land, he would agreed to withdraw the summons.
Mr Grady replied, “I will, but there’s no cattle breaking out since January 11. I have very good fences.”
Judge Joseph Mangan struck out the ores