Pedigree bull among seven cattle stolen from Cork farm on Christmas Eve
The animals – worth between €10,000 and €14,000 in total - were in a shed on an out-farm in Direenauling, Ballyvourney and were among a total of 42 animals in the building. Photo via: Donedeal.ie
A bull and a temperamental suckler cow are among seven cattle stolen from a farm in Cork on Christmas Eve.
The animals also included three other cows and two weanling Angus Cross calves. The animals – worth between €10,000 and €14,000 in total - were in a shed on an out-farm in Direenauling, Ballyvourney and were among a total of 42 animals in the building.
The cows were all Aubracs while the bull is a five-star pedigree Angus who is worth up to €4,000. The bull is around five years old while the cows were over five years. A number of people are believed to have been involved in the daring raid, which took place in the early hours of Christmas Eve morning, in the cover of darkness.
CCTV footage from a local business showed a dark-coloured jeep drawing a three-axle trailer in the area at around 2am. A red small car was also seen close to the jeep.
The animals belong to Jack, Áine and Diarmuid Corkery who are now hoping that whoever stole the animals will either return them or abandon them in a field. The family are wondering if the animals were stolen to order because Áine said that whoever stole the animals had to divide them out from the other animals in the shed.
She said: “One of the cows has horns and would be a vicious animal. We would always be wary of her ourselves.” She described the bull as a docile animal and said his theft is the biggest loss.
She explained: “He was a five-star — we have had calves off him. He had invaluable breeding behind him. He had good beef characteristics. He was very docile for an Angus bull.” She said the family will now have to get a replacement bull for the next breeding season.
She said that the calves which were taken have been separated from their mothers. She said: “We have four calves now with no cows, and two cows with no calves.” Aine said the family are hoping that media attention “will make them too hot to handle”.
She is asking people to keep an eye out for cattle with fresh tags or signs of cut horns, as they could be the family’s animals.
Six weeks ago, a similar incident occurred in West Cork. On that occasion, eight animals were stolen from a farm in Aughadown in Ballydehob between 6pm on November 12 and 10am on November 15. In that incident, the animals included five Friesian heifers and three Aberdeen Angus bullocks.
A month ago, five in-calf pedigree cows were stolen from a farm in Tarbert, in north Kerry.
West Cork IFA chairman Donal O’Donovan said the thefts are worrying and described the incidents as “brazen” acts. He said: “The bull would be a very marketable animal.”
He urged anyone in the area around the Ballyvourney farm who has CCTV footage to supply it to gardaí, and he also advised any farmers who do not already have their livestock insured against theft to consider doing so.
Macroom gardaí are investigating the theft and say nobody has been arrested in connection with the incident. Anyone with information can contact them at (026) 20590.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
