Up to 500 dairy calves have died on one Roscommon farm since 2023, Department of Agriculture veterinary inspector James Casey told Roscommon Circuit Court on Thursday.
Mr Casey was speaking at a pre-trial hearing in the case of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) versus Seán Coughlan, of Cum, Laherdane, Ballina, Co Mayo, and the DPP versus Coughlan Farming Limited.
Mr Coughlan and Coughlan Farming Limited are charged with neglect and failing to ensure animals were kept in a manner that would not threaten their health in late 2022. Some 38 charges of animal cruelty relate to Mr Coughlan, while charges 39-74 relate to the company.
Mr Casey told the court that Mr Coughlan runs a dairy herd in Laragan, Elphin, Co Roscommon. He said it was a “substantial herd with approximately 500 cows” and that up to 900 animals could be present on the farm.
“The offences that are being put to Mr Coughlan occurred in December 2022 and here we are in October 2025. In the interim there has been a number of issues of concern,” Mr Casey said.
“In 2023, Mr Coughlan lost 60% of the calves that were born in 2023 – that was approximately 300 calves that went to the knackery which means they died on farm.
“In 2024, the situation wasn’t quite as bad but there were approximately 200 calves that went in the second year, if you count the calves that went in the following year of the same group.
“That’s why we would like this case to proceed as quick as possible,” he said.
Judge Kenneth Connolly asked the Department inspector if there was any notable difference between dead male calves and dead female calves.
In 2023, Mr Coughlan lost 60% of the calves that were born in 2023 – that was approximately 300 calves that went to the knackery which means they died on farm
In response, Mr Casey said that there was an approximate 50/50 split.
“I understand where you’re coming from – there seems to be absolutely no difference. Mr Coughlan doesn’t distinguish with male or female with regards to the care of his calves,” Mr Casey said.
Inspection in 2022
In December 2022, Department officials carried out an inspection on the farm.
“There were some issues disclosed at the inspection and in follow-up too that we issued some notices in relation to compliance that were made.
“It was quite a broad area of non-compliances really. There were situations of animal neglect, animals not being given the care required, animals not being given the accommodation they required. There were question marks over the labour that had been provided on the farm,” Mr Casey said.
Mr Casey told the court that Mr Coughlan runs a dairy herd in Laragan, Elphin, Co Roscommon.
Judge Kenneth Connolly asked Mr Casey if there had been any animal fatalities on the farm. In response Mr Casey said there had been and that there had been fatalities since.
“We’re now in October 2025, there were a number of ongoing site visits carried out over that period of time and would have identified a number of animal welfare issues at those inspections,” he said.
Mr Casey told the court that he carried out an inspection on 26 March 2025.
“There was a group of calves being kept in a woodland area on the farm of Mr Coughlan. These would have been approximately 40 to 50 animals that were born in spring 2024, so they would have been about a year old. I identified approximately six of them dead and the remainder were not getting adequate feed and not getting adequate water.
"It was a serious situation judge, which was highlighted to Mr Coughlan. Mr Coughlan took action to remedy the situation but it was too late for those six calves that were neglected,” he said.
Spot check
Mr Casey told the court that he carried out another inspection on the farm on 6 October 2025 where he was accompanied by a colleague.
He said the reason he went to the farm, was to do a spot check and to evaluate the welfare on the farm. He said he phoned Mr Coughlan to tell him why they were at the farm.
“Mr Coughlan said he wasn’t on the farm, he was in Co Mayo. I said, that’s fine we’ll carry on and if we have anything to report back or if there are any issues we will give you a call.”
Mr Casey said that upon carrying out the spot check, he encountered a “very distressing situation”.
“Two weanling calves were stuck in feed barriers. One of them was dead and the other would have died in a short-time if there wasn’t action taken,” he said.
He said he phoned Mr Coughlan immediately and asked if there was anyone on the farm that could help as there was an acute situation where an animal was on the point of death.
Two weanling calves were stuck in feed barriers. One of them was dead and the other would have died in a short-time if there wasn’t action taken
“Mr Coughlan said that there’s nobody on the farm. I said if there’s nobody here, you’re in Mayo, we’re just going to have to try rescue this animal. Myself and my colleague managed to free the live animal that was there and thankfully he survived,” he said.
Mr Casey said that, in his opinion, the dead animal had been dead for a number of hours and that its skin temperature was cool. He told the court that the two animals were stuck in the one gap in the feed barrier and that the barrier was “unsuitable”.
He said they were in a pen with around 20 other calves.
The veterinary inspector told the court that he sent Mr Coughlan a video to outline to him what had been “encountered, in case he didn’t believe us”.
He said the group of animals were lowing and bawling and, in his opinion, they hadn’t been fed that day. He said he believed the two calves that had become trapped in the feed barrier had tried to access some fresh silage at the end of the barrier row.
Mr Coughlan, who was representing himself in court, asked Mr Casey if he could state how long he was on Mr Coughlan’s farm unaccompanied by him on the 25 March 2025 with other Department officials. He said he had a “witness that can put you there and there’s photographs as well”.
Mr Casey told the court that he carried out another inspection on the farm on 6 October 2025 where he was accompanied by a colleague.
“On the 25 March? I wasn’t on the farm on the 25 March,” Mr Casey replied. Mr Coughlan told the court that there “was three other people, along with you, on the day before you identified the dead animals on the farm”. Mr Casey said he didn’t “recall that”.
Mr Coughlan said that there was an Izuzu pick-up jeep, a black Audi and a car that Mr Coughlan said Mr Casey had “come to the farm on, on regular occasions”.
Mr Casey said he didn’t recall the incident and said he was “not sure what the relevance is”.
‘Ample silage’
“There was ample silage available to the animals at all times. It’s on Google Maps, you can see the pictures of where silage was available. I put it to you that you didn’t walk around the full site. They were getting fed silage in the feed trailer as well,” Mr Coughlan said.
Mr Casey responded by stating that he did walk the site, finding another dead calf in another field, and that the feed trailer had been empty on 26 March when he visited.
He said the animals were restricted to the woodland, that the animals were “eating the dirt off the ground” and that the drinker provided wasn’t plumbed. Mr Coughlan said there were multiple water sources in the area.
Simple English, you hand in your passport to the guards [sic] within 36 hours or I’ll have you arrested
Mr Coughlan told the court that “anytime Mr Casey arrived on the farm and I have been there he has never found any issue. He only seems to find issues when unaccompanied”. Mr Casey said this was untrue.
Conditions
Judge Connolly said that in addition to the conditions imposed in a bail bond which was dated 24 July 2024, he would include the following: “that the accused, Seán Coughlan, shall comply with any lawful requirement made of him in writing by an authorised officer employed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine”. This order also applies to Coughlan Farming Limited.
The judge also ordered that Mr Coughlan surrender his passport or any passport card that he holds within 36 hours to the officer in charge Ballina Garda Station.
“I am directing that Mr Coughlan shall not apply for any replacement travel documents either, passport or passport card, until the determination of this case. Simple English, you hand in your passport to the guards [sic] within 36 hours or I’ll have you arrested,” he said.
He remanded Mr Coughlan and Coughlan Farming Limited on continuing bail on the amended terms and conditions until March 2026 at which point a jury will be sworn in and the matter will go to trial.
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Up to 500 dairy calves have died on one Roscommon farm since 2023, Department of Agriculture veterinary inspector James Casey told Roscommon Circuit Court on Thursday.
Mr Casey was speaking at a pre-trial hearing in the case of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) versus Seán Coughlan, of Cum, Laherdane, Ballina, Co Mayo, and the DPP versus Coughlan Farming Limited.
Mr Coughlan and Coughlan Farming Limited are charged with neglect and failing to ensure animals were kept in a manner that would not threaten their health in late 2022. Some 38 charges of animal cruelty relate to Mr Coughlan, while charges 39-74 relate to the company.
Mr Casey told the court that Mr Coughlan runs a dairy herd in Laragan, Elphin, Co Roscommon. He said it was a “substantial herd with approximately 500 cows” and that up to 900 animals could be present on the farm.
“The offences that are being put to Mr Coughlan occurred in December 2022 and here we are in October 2025. In the interim there has been a number of issues of concern,” Mr Casey said.
“In 2023, Mr Coughlan lost 60% of the calves that were born in 2023 – that was approximately 300 calves that went to the knackery which means they died on farm.
“In 2024, the situation wasn’t quite as bad but there were approximately 200 calves that went in the second year, if you count the calves that went in the following year of the same group.
“That’s why we would like this case to proceed as quick as possible,” he said.
Judge Kenneth Connolly asked the Department inspector if there was any notable difference between dead male calves and dead female calves.
In 2023, Mr Coughlan lost 60% of the calves that were born in 2023 – that was approximately 300 calves that went to the knackery which means they died on farm
In response, Mr Casey said that there was an approximate 50/50 split.
“I understand where you’re coming from – there seems to be absolutely no difference. Mr Coughlan doesn’t distinguish with male or female with regards to the care of his calves,” Mr Casey said.
Inspection in 2022
In December 2022, Department officials carried out an inspection on the farm.
“There were some issues disclosed at the inspection and in follow-up too that we issued some notices in relation to compliance that were made.
“It was quite a broad area of non-compliances really. There were situations of animal neglect, animals not being given the care required, animals not being given the accommodation they required. There were question marks over the labour that had been provided on the farm,” Mr Casey said.
Mr Casey told the court that Mr Coughlan runs a dairy herd in Laragan, Elphin, Co Roscommon.
Judge Kenneth Connolly asked Mr Casey if there had been any animal fatalities on the farm. In response Mr Casey said there had been and that there had been fatalities since.
“We’re now in October 2025, there were a number of ongoing site visits carried out over that period of time and would have identified a number of animal welfare issues at those inspections,” he said.
Mr Casey told the court that he carried out an inspection on 26 March 2025.
“There was a group of calves being kept in a woodland area on the farm of Mr Coughlan. These would have been approximately 40 to 50 animals that were born in spring 2024, so they would have been about a year old. I identified approximately six of them dead and the remainder were not getting adequate feed and not getting adequate water.
"It was a serious situation judge, which was highlighted to Mr Coughlan. Mr Coughlan took action to remedy the situation but it was too late for those six calves that were neglected,” he said.
Spot check
Mr Casey told the court that he carried out another inspection on the farm on 6 October 2025 where he was accompanied by a colleague.
He said the reason he went to the farm, was to do a spot check and to evaluate the welfare on the farm. He said he phoned Mr Coughlan to tell him why they were at the farm.
“Mr Coughlan said he wasn’t on the farm, he was in Co Mayo. I said, that’s fine we’ll carry on and if we have anything to report back or if there are any issues we will give you a call.”
Mr Casey said that upon carrying out the spot check, he encountered a “very distressing situation”.
“Two weanling calves were stuck in feed barriers. One of them was dead and the other would have died in a short-time if there wasn’t action taken,” he said.
He said he phoned Mr Coughlan immediately and asked if there was anyone on the farm that could help as there was an acute situation where an animal was on the point of death.
Two weanling calves were stuck in feed barriers. One of them was dead and the other would have died in a short-time if there wasn’t action taken
“Mr Coughlan said that there’s nobody on the farm. I said if there’s nobody here, you’re in Mayo, we’re just going to have to try rescue this animal. Myself and my colleague managed to free the live animal that was there and thankfully he survived,” he said.
Mr Casey said that, in his opinion, the dead animal had been dead for a number of hours and that its skin temperature was cool. He told the court that the two animals were stuck in the one gap in the feed barrier and that the barrier was “unsuitable”.
He said they were in a pen with around 20 other calves.
The veterinary inspector told the court that he sent Mr Coughlan a video to outline to him what had been “encountered, in case he didn’t believe us”.
He said the group of animals were lowing and bawling and, in his opinion, they hadn’t been fed that day. He said he believed the two calves that had become trapped in the feed barrier had tried to access some fresh silage at the end of the barrier row.
Mr Coughlan, who was representing himself in court, asked Mr Casey if he could state how long he was on Mr Coughlan’s farm unaccompanied by him on the 25 March 2025 with other Department officials. He said he had a “witness that can put you there and there’s photographs as well”.
Mr Casey told the court that he carried out another inspection on the farm on 6 October 2025 where he was accompanied by a colleague.
“On the 25 March? I wasn’t on the farm on the 25 March,” Mr Casey replied. Mr Coughlan told the court that there “was three other people, along with you, on the day before you identified the dead animals on the farm”. Mr Casey said he didn’t “recall that”.
Mr Coughlan said that there was an Izuzu pick-up jeep, a black Audi and a car that Mr Coughlan said Mr Casey had “come to the farm on, on regular occasions”.
Mr Casey said he didn’t recall the incident and said he was “not sure what the relevance is”.
‘Ample silage’
“There was ample silage available to the animals at all times. It’s on Google Maps, you can see the pictures of where silage was available. I put it to you that you didn’t walk around the full site. They were getting fed silage in the feed trailer as well,” Mr Coughlan said.
Mr Casey responded by stating that he did walk the site, finding another dead calf in another field, and that the feed trailer had been empty on 26 March when he visited.
He said the animals were restricted to the woodland, that the animals were “eating the dirt off the ground” and that the drinker provided wasn’t plumbed. Mr Coughlan said there were multiple water sources in the area.
Simple English, you hand in your passport to the guards [sic] within 36 hours or I’ll have you arrested
Mr Coughlan told the court that “anytime Mr Casey arrived on the farm and I have been there he has never found any issue. He only seems to find issues when unaccompanied”. Mr Casey said this was untrue.
Conditions
Judge Connolly said that in addition to the conditions imposed in a bail bond which was dated 24 July 2024, he would include the following: “that the accused, Seán Coughlan, shall comply with any lawful requirement made of him in writing by an authorised officer employed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine”. This order also applies to Coughlan Farming Limited.
The judge also ordered that Mr Coughlan surrender his passport or any passport card that he holds within 36 hours to the officer in charge Ballina Garda Station.
“I am directing that Mr Coughlan shall not apply for any replacement travel documents either, passport or passport card, until the determination of this case. Simple English, you hand in your passport to the guards [sic] within 36 hours or I’ll have you arrested,” he said.
He remanded Mr Coughlan and Coughlan Farming Limited on continuing bail on the amended terms and conditions until March 2026 at which point a jury will be sworn in and the matter will go to trial.
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