Three arrested in connection with deer poaching

Three men have been arrested on suspicion of deer poaching after concerns that the numbers of animals illegally shot was reaching an epidemic.

The men were detained in a series of planned searches in Carlow town and about 20kms (12miles) away in the village of Rathvilly near the Wicklow border.

The men, aged in their 20s, were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation involving gardaí and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

At least one rifle and two silencers were recovered during the searches.

The operation followed large numbers of deer being shot for sale in Wicklow, Carlow and Kilkenny with experts warning it was reaching epidemic proportions. The season opened for licensed hunters on September 1.

Gardaí said the searches uncovered some evidence and the three men were being detained in Carlow and Thomastown stations under section four of the Criminal Justice Act.

Scores of deer are being shot across the three counties with an average hind fetching about 70 euro and a stag about 100 euro.

During the wider investigation into poaching, which has been going on for several weeks, one man was stopped with 24 shot deer in his van.

Poachers generally target herds in the uplands of Wicklow, Carlow and Kilkenny at night using high powered rifles and infra red lights to pick up the eye reflections of deer.