Bull shot dead at Cork Summer Show for public's safety

A trained marksman was called in to kill the animal which broke loose before the public arrived at the Cork Showgrounds on Saturday

Cattle are washed and prepared for judging at the Cork Summer Show at the showgrounds in Curraheen, Cork. Picture: David Creedon

A large animal, believed to be a young bull, got loose at the Cork Summer Show and was shot dead to protect public safety.

Although the animal broke loose before the public arrived at the Cork Showgrounds on Saturday, a source there said it was shot to prevent the situation from becoming dangerous for humans.

A trained marksman was called to the area to kill the animal.

“We just couldn’t take any chances. It was dealt with as humanely as possible. There was no gunshot sound.

“It’s tragic that the animal died but it was done to protect public safety," the source said.

“The animal just wasn’t under control and the situation could have become dangerous to humans.

“The best course of action was taken to avoid that.”

I don’t think this has ever happened before and we will take steps to make sure this never happens again.

“There were very, very few people on-site at the time. No one was injured. But the longer it went on, the more people would have arrived on site.” 

Upwards of 50,000 visitors attended the Cork Summer Show — a beloved and iconic event in the social calendar — following a two-year absence due to the pandemic. 

Cattle and ponies prizes were the focus on Saturday while Sunday featured prize competitions for horses, goats, sheep and poultry.

More than 200 traders from all over Ireland attended in the trade zone area which featured food, fashion, health and wellness, gardening and lifestyle, and agricultural machinery. 

An indoor food market offered produce from artisan food producers and craft breweries. 

New to the show was a ‘Local Enterprise Zone — Reboot’ with more than 40 Cork micro-enterprises selling a diverse range of products, from skincare to candles, handbags and cheese.