Meath cattle farmer Michael John O’Malley has suffered heavy losses after six in-calf pedigree heifers were electrocuted inside his shed by an electrical surge that originated on another property.

He is left wondering if he is entitled to any recompense for the incident, which happened during the February storms.

“A tree came down on a property across the road, onto ESB cables. I understand that one wire touched another and reversed the polarity. Either way, a surge of current then came into my shed and along the rail of the automatic scraper. The next morning I found the six heifers lying dead on the rail,” he said.

Michael, from Bogganstown, Drumree, had the presence of mind to turn off the power to his shed and scraper before going into the shed himself and then calling his vet.

The six cattle killed were pedigree Friesians carrying four heifer and two bull calves. Five other in-calf heifers survived – Micheal thinks they may have been standing outside the shed at the time.

He said: “They were very frightened. I didn’t put them back in the shed. I’m fearful myself of going into the shed since.”

Michael called in his electrician who checked Michael’s electrical installations and found them to be in correct order.

ESB Networks investigated its power lines. Its legal department has now written to Michael informing him that the company does not accept liability for the incident.

“The animals were valued at over €15,000,” Michael told the Irish Farmers Journal. “That doesn’t include vet and knackery charges. I’m lucky the shed wasn’t full – it could hold 40 animals.”