An Offaly farmer’s silage bales have been slashed open by an unknown person or persons, leaving him at a potential loss of nearly €1,000.

Suckler farmer John Cunningham from Aughameelick, Clonbullogue, Co Offaly, had every single one of the 22 bales he’d left stacked down a laneway cut open.

“I thought I was seeing things,” he told the Irish Farmers Journal, as he described what he came upon at 11am on Wednesday morning.

ADVERTISEMENT

Cunningham had previously seen the bales at 6.30pm on Tuesday evening and all was in order, meaning the bales were slashed at some stage Tuesday night.

Holes were cut in the bales on top, along the sides and at the bottom.

The silage bales were about 400m down a lane, according to the Offaly farmer, who is convinced the damage could only have been done with local knowledge.

“It had to be someone with local knowledge because it’s a long way down a laneway,” he said.

“There’s nobody outside the local area that would know about them.”

Cunningham described how a knife was taken to the silage wrap.

“Every bale in it was cut the whole way around, top and bottom,” he said.

“It wasn’t just a hit and miss job, it was every bale.”

Garda response

Gardaí attended the scene of the crime on Wednesday, but as there were no cameras directed at where the bales were stacked, they said there is little that can be done.

Cunningham said the damage had to be done by someone with local knowledge.

Cunningham believes there were two people involved in slashing the bales - one cutting along the side and another who climbed on top and cut a hole to make sure water could get in. He said there was also a hole in the ditch that two people could fit through.

Financial loss

Valued at €40 per bale, the silage was worth at least €880. The silage was of good quality and had been cut and baled in July.

“I’m still trying to fix them up with tape,” the farmer said.

Cunningham, who has been farming all his life, said he had “never seen anything like that”.

All 22 silage bales were damaged.

While he said the incident had been very upsetting, he felt rural crime has become a major issue.

“The way the country is gone, I don't think it takes a lot to shock people now,” he said.

Anyone with information on who may have slashed open the bales is encouraged to contact Tullamore Garda Station on 057-932 7600 or Edenderry Garda Station on 046-973 1290.