Farmer with three cows dying a week said he made 'mistakes', court hears

Gordon Deegan

There are now only 19 cattle remaining and no sheep on a Co Clare farm where the Dept of Agriculture moved in as the farm had a mortality rate of two to three bovines per week in 2023 due to a farmer’s neglect, a court has heard.

At Ennis District Court, farmer Patrick Cahir, 61, of Buncraggy, Ennis, said that he had made "mistakes" and “a lot of things went wrong together” in 2023.

Mr Cahir said that he wanted more time "to put things back the way they should be".

Mr Cahir’s 200-acre farm had 100 cattle and 200 sheep in 2023. Recalling conditions on his first visit to the farm in November 2023, Dept of Agriculture veterinary inspector, Mr Andrew O’Connor, told the court previously that the “cattle had no fodder.

They were hungry. They were lean, in poor body condition, and scavenging for anything they could get. There was no grass.”

Mr O’Connor said that the mortality rate was too high when you had two to three bovines dying per week.

On behalf of the Dept of Agriculture, Thomas Wallace O’Donnell BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that Mr Cahir has agreed to a compliance notice which limits his stock to 20 bovines and no sheep.

Mr Cahir was first before the court in July, and Judge Alec Gabbett adjourned the case for improvements to be made.

Now, after hearing that various last-minute improvements were made before court, Judge Gabbett said that he was concerned that everything was last-minute.

Solicitor, Daragh Hassett for Mr Cahir said, “I know judge - it is a bit like the week of the Holy Communion that the house gets cleaned up.”

Mr Hassett said that the farm is down to 19 cattle and no sheep, and “is not really a viable operation for farming, but that is the order in place”.

Speaking in court for the first time, Mr Cahir gave sworn evidence from the witness box, where he said that “a lot of things went wrong together” when trying to explain the neglect of his animals.

He said: “I made mistakes. Money was the cause of a lot of the problems, and the banks are no good to the farmer.”

Mr Hassett said that Mr Cahir was let down by contractors, and they refused to turn up as he owed them money.

Mr Cahir said: “If you remember 2023 - it was atrocious. It was the worst year, and the weather got worse and worse.”

Mr O’Connor gave evidence that algae continued to be present in the water trough for animals after the last day in court, and Mr Cahir said that he cleaned it out the evening before court “to the best of my ability”.

Mr Cahir said: “All the cattle have done well. I have bought and sold, and made a few pound. It is the only profession I have.”

Judge Gabbett said: “And I am keen that you maintain it.”

Mr Hassett said that the “dial is moving slowly in the case for this farm”.

He said that Mr Cahir is a bachelor farmer who had significant poor physical and mental health, and his eye was taken off the ball.

He said that the Department “were completely correct in my view to intervene and monitor the farm”.

Mr Hassett said: “I can assure you that I have had conversations with Mr Cahir on where this case needs to go, and he wants to be able to farm without the Department being over his shoulder, and I’m sure the Department would prefer to not be visiting Mr Cahir’s farm on a regular basis.”

Judge Gabbett said that “there has been progress, I have to say - not overwhelming but progress all the same, and I would like to see more - sooner rather later”.

Mr Cahir has pleaded guilty to neglect or recklessness regarding the health and welfare of animals, namely sheep and cattle, between November 17th, 2023, and May 23rd, 2024, under Section 1(b) of the Animal Health and Welfare Act.

Mr Cahir also pleaded guilty to regulations concerning the disposal of carcasses where he had carcasses of animals, namely cattle and sheep, on land which a dog may have had access to.

Judge Gabbett has adjourned the case to December 10th for further improvements to be made.