A 60 year old farmer from West Clare has been ordered to surrender his cattle to avoid them enduring any further cruelty.
The order came after Kilrush District Court heard what was described as “horrific”’ evidence of animal cruelty on the farm of Patrick Shannon, from Carnaculla, Kilrush.
Married father of three Patrick Shannon pleaded guilty to cruelly, ill-treating animals by failing to provide adequate feed, water and shelter to them on his lands at Carnaculla on three seperate dates last November and December.
In evidence, Veterinary Inspector Vincent Lambert told the court he found hungry and malnourished cattle confined behind electric fences on bare ground with no supplementary feed or water when he visited the farm last year.
He also said that he found 122 bales of silage elsewhere on the farm.
The judge accepted that there was no malice shown by Mr. Shannon, and that the cruelty arose from “misguided notions” on how to manage them, but he said the animals were in a “sorry condition” because they were “cold and open to the elements and had sight of water and food they couldn’t access.”
He ordered the removal of the 75 animals within 28 days, despite pleas from Mr. Shannon’s solicitor John Casey who said his client would suffer a “severe” personal loss if this occurred.
Patrick Shannon was also handed a ten-month suspended jail sentence.
