Neighbours help run farm as Mossie returns following two years in jail
It was the first time that he had seen the lands and livestock since May 2000, but the business was still progressing, thanks to the support of his kindly and helpful neighbours who have been running the cattle farm.
Even his friendly dog was there, in fine form, welcoming him back.
Mossie has spent the last two years in Limerick Prison for refusing to obey a High Court Order to hand over the deeds of his farm for the sale of the property, to pay a court compensation award of £275,000 and associated costs.
He has been involved in these legal proceedings for more than a decade.
The next stage of his battle to hold on to the farm which has been in his family for generations will be decided in the High Court in Dublin in September, when the case comes before the Court for review.
This traumatic phase in the life of hard working farmer Mossie commenced more than a decade ago, when a man from his locality was awarded substantial damages in the High Court, in compensation for serious injuries he received while sawing timber for his own use on Mossie's farm.
Unfortunately, Mr Cleary did not have insurance cover for the use of the saw, because he felt that the cost of insurance cover for the work was prohibitively high, relative to the amount of work which he was doing and the return from the work.
Arising from the court award and the associated costs and expenses, which Mr Cleary was unable to meet, the High Court ordered that the farm be sold to meet the liabilities.
But Mr Cleary refused to hand over the deeds of the farm for the sale and was committed to Limerick Prison for his failure to comply with the Order of the court. He has been at Limerick Prison since May 2000, while his neighbours have been running the farm near Kilmallock, in the heart of the fertile Golden Vale.
He now awaits the outcome of the next phase of the long legal saga, which is expected to be determined when the review of the case comes before the High Court on September 11.
