Man charged after gardaí recover cattle stolen from West Cork farm

Rustlers stole six Friesian bulls and 12 Friesian heifers, worth about €30,000, from a farm in the Lakelands area of Skibbereen. Picture: David Cheskin/PA Wire

A man in his 30s has been charged after gardaí recovered 18 cattle who had been stolen from a farm in West Cork last November.

On the night of Monday, November 24, rustlers stole six Friesian bulls and 12 Friesian heifers, worth about €30,000, from a farm in the Lakelands area of Skibbereen.

Gardaí from the Serious Crime Units in Clonakilty, Bandon and Bantry, along with the Divisional Search Team and the department of agriculture, carried out searches for the missing cattle in the Ballydehob area. 

Following these searches, the 18 stolen cattle were positively identified and returned to their owner.

On Tuesday morning, gardaí confirmed that a man in his 30s had been arrested in connection with the theft. 

On Wednesday, they confirmed that the man had been charged.

He is due to appear before Macroom District Court at 10:30am on Wednesday.