Farmer Martin Walsh (44) of Clogher, Westport, Co Mayo, has lost his case against the Department of Agriculture regarding an animal welfare notice involving approximately 350 sheep.

A district court sitting in Castlebar on Tuesday heard evidence from two Department veterinary inspectors that they had found “no water, no hay, no silage and no grass available to eat” for sheep on land parcels rented by Mr Walsh.

As a result, an animal welfare notice was issued on 10 April 2019.

They also found a sheep skeleton on land rented in Clogher by Mr Walsh and two sheep carcases in Fisherhill.

Counsel for the defence Myles Gilvarry explained that Mr Walsh’s land was fragmented and did not have access to piped water in all areas,

but that his client brought

water and feed daily to his stock.

On 6 May 2019, Department veterinary inspectors Peter Byrnes and Aoife Mulherin returned to inspect Mr Walsh’s land. They provided water to the sheep and filmed the sheep drinking. Byrnes told the court they appeared “extremely thirsty” and were “clamouring” to get to the buckets.

Veterinary inspector Aoife Mulherin told the court that the shed in which 140 fattening lambs had a strong smell of ammonia that “burns the eyes.”

When the defence countered that Mr Walsh did bring water to his flock she responded: “He may be bringing water every day but in my opinion it’s not enough.”

Taking to the witness box, Martin Walsh explained that all his land was rented and farming was the means by which he supported his family and put “bread and butter on the table.”

He said he checked his flock daily and brought five 80-litre drums of water in his pick-up for the sheep.

He insisted that it wouldn’t make any sense to wilfully starve sheep.

Mr Walsh’s own vet George O’Malley stood as a witness for him and he gave most sheep in one farm a high body condition score of four out of five in February this year.

He explained that lab results from six “emaciated” sheep he had put down showed a very heavy roundworm burden and Mr Walsh had bought a different wormer that was suggested to him.

Costs

However, Justice John Cheatle said he was “fully satisfied” the notice was validly served and ordered the farmer to pay the Department’s costs.

Speaking after the court case, Mr Walsh said he was disappointed and he was looking into appealing the decision made by the judge.

Read more

Department seizes over 400 sheep from Mayo farmer

'Hold no grudge', judge tells farmer in Galway wall dispute