Tom Finn, from Clonroe Upper, was visiting his neighbour’s farm last Saturday to check on ewes when he spotted a fox attempting an escape with a lamb in tow.

“My neighbour lives away from the farm, so I usually check the sheep for him,” he explains. “When I was there on Saturday, I caught the flash of an eye with my lamp and saw a fox carrying the dead lamb. I took careful aim and took the fox with a shot to the neck.”

The flock had previously been attacked by dogs, so Finn, a member of the Garda Reserve, usually brings a rifle when checking the farm. He believes that fox attacks have been dismissed as urban legends in the past, but the photographic evidence proves otherwise.

“This is a strong area for sheep and dogs done a lot of damage, but I see foxes around as well,” he says.

“Some people think foxes aren’t doing any harm but this is proof,” he adds. “My neighbour was lucky that he only lost one lamb.”