Cork farmer was thinking of his wife and kids as he was being attacked by bull

Peter Twomey believes that farm families need to be extra cautious during the summer holidays, given that children will be off school and on farms more

Farmer Peter Twomey of Whites Cross had a lucky escape after he was attacked by a bull on his farm earlier this week. Picture: David Creedon

A Cork farmer says he thought he was going to die when he was attacked by a bull in recent days, and is urging people to be careful around livestock.

Peter Twomey of Glenbrook farm in White’s Cross was attacked by a Simmental bull as he brought his cows in for milking on Monday morning. He sustained broken ribs in the attack and is currently out of work.

He says: “He threw me on to the ground and shoved me another bit then. I managed to scramble under the wire and get away from him.” He made it back to the farmyard where his first thought was to warn a French student on the farm not to go near the bull. The animal is no longer on the farm.

He admits fearing for his life: “I thought I was going to die. It was an outer body experience. You don’t ever think it is going to happen to you and then it does and it is a shock. 

I was thinking of my wife Kate and kids as it was happening. We have three kids – 8, 10 and 12. I thought it was all over and I was thinking how would they cope.

He is urging farmers to always be cautious around bulls, pointing out that he was just walking past the bull on his farm when he was attacked without warning.

He says: “I could be dead and I’m not. The whole thing took about five seconds.” The bull was hired in by Peter for breeding season and was only on the farm a short number of days before the incident.

Peter says: “How fast it can happen, with no warning. I didn’t know the bull that long. But he was not dangerous on Saturday or on Sunday, and he nearly killed me on Monday. That’s how fast it can happen.” 

He recalls that there were no warning signs immediately before the attack: “I didn’t expect it because he wasn’t pawing the ground or blowing out smoke.” 

He went to an emergency department to get his ribs and shoulder assessed after the attack, and is currently in a lot of pain.

Peter Twomey: “I thought I was going to die. It was an outer body experience. You don’t ever think it is going to happen to you and then it does and it is a shock." Picture: David Creedon

But he says: “That will go away and I will be okay. I am lucky and that is the bottom line really.” He believes that farm families need to be extra cautious during the summer holidays, given that children will be off school and on farms more.

He says: “My kids would have gone for the cows for me. There isn’t a hope they will be doing it now.” 

According to the Health and Safety Authority, there have been six fatalities in Ireland since 2015 involving bulls. They include the death of 71-year-old Joseph Shorten of Enniskeane, Co. Cork, who died on his farm in April. 

Mr Shorten had been working in a shed on the farm and is believed to have been injured when crushed against a gate in the shed by the bull. He was found fatally injured by a vet who went to the farm for a planned visit. His death will be the subject of an inquest.

According to the HSE, bulls present the biggest risk when “being herded, moved, separated, released or loaded onto trailers”.