Cattle stolen as couple went to Mass

James McGahon at the pen where the cattle were stolen from

Gardaí are investigating an incident which saw four cattle stolen from an elderly couple’s farm last Friday night.

The finished steer animals belonged to James and Ann McGahon, from the Stonetown area.

The couple went to Mass last Friday night but on her return around 8.30pm Ann noticed fresh tracks coming out of an unused gate. The next morning James discovered four cattle missing.

“The couple have taken it fairly bad,” Louth IFA chair Matthew McGreehan told The Farmers Journal.

“On the way back from Mass, Ann noticed tracks coming out of a gate they don’t use. When they went to count the cattle the next morning, they discovered that four finished bullocks had been stolen.”

The four animals, worth over €7,000, were Simmental and Friesian crosses.

According to Matthew McGreehan, an attempted rustling took place near Cooley last week, but the cattle broke free before they could be loaded. He encourages people to be vigilant in securing their stock.

“The Department of Agriculture and gardaí are going to have to clamp down on it,” said McGreehan. “They can leave no stone unturned. In the meantime, farmers need to be conscious of rustling when they are putting animals in sheds. They should also put padlocks on gates in fields, particularly where a permanent loading pen is already in place.”

The IFA chair has arranged a meeting with Garda Chief Superintendent, Pat McGee, to discuss the matter further.

Local farmers warned about cattle thefts in the area

Farmers have been warned about a number of cattle thefts in the area in the last week.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, six cows and four heifers were stolen from the Jenkinstown area. The 10 cows were housed well off the main road.

The same night, and within a few miles of where the cattle were stolen, a cattle trailer was stolen from a farmer’s yard. Gardaí are linking the two crimes.

In a separate incident last week, 11 cows were stolen from a farm near Castleblayney in Monaghan. The cows were a mix of Limousin and Belgian Blue.

Louth IFA is hosting a meeting in Mullaghbuoy community centre on Thursday night at 9pm. The meeting is being held in the wake of recent thefts and all farmers are being encouraged to attend. Louth IFA county chairman Matthew McGreehan will be chairing the meeting, which will be attended by local Gardaí as well as Ulster North Leinster chairman of the IFA, Bert Stewart.

Cattle stolen in Knockbridge

Eight cattle have been stolen from land at Knockbridge.

The incident happened at Allardstown yesterday, with the theft estimated to have cost the affected farmer around €12,000.

This is one of a number of such incidents in the area this year and following the latest theft, Louth IFA chairman Matthew McGreehan made a call on LMFM radio for greater sanctions to be imposed on anyone caught stealing livestock.

He also said anyone caught tampering with cattle ID tags must also face harsher penalties.

Louth IFA express concern at increase in number of cattle raids

At the farm gate where the cattle were stolen was farmer Anthony Duffy (left) and Matthew McGreehan, Louth IFA Chairman

The Louth Branch of the Irish Farmers’ Association have expressed concern at the increase in the number of cattle raids in the county at present.

The IFA have released a statement encouraging people in rural areas to be vigilant to deal with what they describe as a “serious problem”.

Local farmer Anthony Duffy of Doolargy, Ravensdale had five bullocks stolen from him, between the late hours of Tuesday July 8^th and the early hours of the Wednesday July 9^th. The bullocks had consisted of two Charolais, two Aberdeen Angus and one black Hereford. The cattle were valued at approximately €7,500.

Anthony had checked the cattle at 10.30pm on Tuesday night and also 8am on Wednesday morning. When he arrived that morning the cattle were gone. The cattle were due to go to the factory the coming Friday.

Anthony said: “The thieves had prised the gate open and put it back so people wouldn’t notice. It’s becoming a major problem all over the country but especially in the border counties. They suspect that my cattle were brought to illegal abattoirs and are more than likely slaughtered by now.

“It is a huge loss to any farmer to lose cattle after looking after them for two years,” he said.

The farmer had no insurance that covered the theft – up until recently no insurance company offered this – but FBD are now offering an insurance policy which covers theft of livestock.

Louth IFA Chairman Matthew McGreehan said in a statement: “The Garda, PSNI and departments on each side of the border are going to have to cooperate more to deal with this serious problem.

“I hope to also meet with the local Superintendent to discuss this matter. I also ask for local people especially in rural areas to be vigilant and to raise an alarm if they see or suspect suspicious activity. If anyone in the area had seen anything please report it to the Gardaí or County Chairman.”