Farmer given three months to get rid of piggery

A pig farmer, who built a “monster” piggery without planning permission, has been given three months to work out a plan to prevent the development from becoming an environmental disaster.

Donal Connaughton admitted to Longford Circuit Court that he had been driven by greed and failed to abide by the planning regulations in developing the farm which at one stage housed 14,000 pigs.

Connaughton, aged 55, of Elfleet, Newtowncashel, Co Longford, was convicted at Longford District Court last month of causing or permitting effluent from massive tanks, containing 4m gallons of slurry, at the now-derelict pig farm, to fall into a local lake in March of last year.