Eight bull calves were stolen from a farm in Drum near Athlone in Co Roscommon last Thursday night, leaving farmer Pádraic Molloy “devastated”.

The calves were a mixture of Angus and Herefords and were the only stock the farmer had at the time.

One of the calves can be identified by ringworm around his eye, according to Molloy.

Molloy buys November-born calves and rears them until they are about a year and a half – he had just moved on 10 bullocks recently.

He said that near the field where the calves were stolen, there were two trailers, a vacant house and other tools that the thieves didn’t go near.

“We are convinced it is within the farming community.

“You’d have to have your homework done to know where the calves were,” he said.

The Roscommon farmer described the theft as “a farmer turning against a farmer in a rural area.”

“It’s all the animals we have and whoever took them knows that,” he said.

Gardaí are aware of the incident and said that they are currently investigating the theft of the livestock.

“Eight male calves were removed from farmland overnight. Enquires are ongoing,” gardaí said in a statement.