Investigations are still ongoing into the suspected theft of a number of cattle from a farm in east Monaghan some time over Monday night, an Garda Síochána confirmed to the Irish Farmers Journal.

“Gardaí received a report of the theft of cattle from a farm in Castelblaney, Co Monaghan, between the hours of 6pm on 3 November 2025 and 6am on 4 November 2025,” a spokesperson said.

There were 21 cattle reported as having been stolen to the Department of Agriculture this year up to end of August, while an additional almost 900 head were reported as missing.

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The majority of the cattle reported as stolen were aged between 12 and 18 months of age.

Renewed Garda rural focus

An Garda Síochána announced last month that Superintendent Michael Corbett had been appointed to the role of rural crime lead.

Superintendent Corbett has since urged all farmers to report all instances of crime, as “if it’s not reported, then we can’t investigate it”.

The appointment was welcomed by the Irish Farmers' Association, with deputy president Alice Doyle heralding the newly-created position as a major step in the ongoing fight against rural crime.