A farmer who knocked down and uprooted up to 250 mature and semi-mature trees near the Ballyhoura Mountains special area of conservation (SAC) in Co Cork has been given five months to continue remedial works to repair the damage done before he is sentenced in the district court.
Daniel Finn, who is his 70s and from Tevenie, Dromina, Charleville, Co Cork, appeared before Judge Colm Roberts at Mallow District Court.
Defence solicitor Marie Ford said that her client “sincerely apologised” for his “mistake”, adding that it was never Mr Finn’s intention to cause harm.
She said that Mr Finn was anxious to put right the damage and had already undertaken substantial remedial works.
She told the court that Mr Finn had planted one kilometre of whitethorn hedging at a cost of €2,200, as well as 1.8ac of native broadleaf trees including silver birch, rowan, oak and alder at a cost of €10,087.
She added that he has also engaged with a local European Innovation Partnership (EIP) water project.
Judge Colm Roberts said: “I am happy he realises the error of his ways. I don’t believe he was being deliberately destructive, it was more recklessness than hatred for the environment. What I’m thinking is, I wouldn’t mind some of those remedial works to be further bedded down.”
The judge said that it was to Mr Finn’s credit he has: “Reflected on the situation and moved on that reflection.”
The case was adjourned to 16 June 2025 for an update on the progress of remedial works, which will inform the penalty.
Guilty plea
At a previous hearing in October 2024, Mr Finn pleaded guilty to committing offences contrary to the Wildlife Act 1976. The offences took place between 1 March and 31 August 2023 at Stream Hill, Doneraile, Co Cork.
National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) conservation warden Clare Deasy told the court that she visited the impacted site at Stream Hill in Doneraile, Co Cork, on 27 April 2024.
Ms Deasy said that around 250 mature and semi mature trees had been knocked and uprooted in an area adjacent to the Ballyhoura Mountains SAC.
She told Judge Colm Roberts that a combined total of 3.7ha of vegetation, including scrub and trees, had been removed from the site. Significant destruction had also been caused to an aquatic and fisheries habitat in a watercourse known to support salmonids.
Ms Deasy said that a significant amount of hedgerow was also removed in addition to the destruction of 350m of river habitat along the banks of the stream.
She said that Mr Finn had claimed that he was “improving the land for agriculture”. She added that it could take “a hundred years” to replace the trees destroyed by Mr Finn.
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