A farmer from Crimlin, Brickens, Claremorris was told he would face three months in prison unless he reduced his stock levels at Ballyhaunis District Court this week.
“Do you know where Castlerea is?” Judge Geoffrey Browne asked the farmer, John Joe Mulkeen, to which Mulkeen replied “I do.”
“Well that’s where you will be going for three months unless you reduce the number of sheep on your land,” by Judge Browne warned him. Mulkeen was in court to face charges after gardaí re-entered charges against him after he failed to reduce the number of sheep he kept to 100 as he was ordered to do following a cruelty conviction previously.
Philip Breslin, a veterinary officer with the Department of Agriculture, told the court that he had visited Mulkeen’s farm on December 22 2008 and Mulkeen had 280 sheep. He visited it again on March 2 and there were 260 sheep after a head count. Mulkeen told the court that if he had to reduce his numbers to below 200 he would have to give up farming because it would not be worth it to farm only 100 sheep. Judge Browne gave Mulkeen until June 2 to reduce the numbers or face going to Castlerea for three months.
