A Donegal sheep farmer who lost 34 sheep in at least two recent thefts, is offering a reward of €1,000 for their return or for information leading to a conviction.
Declan McGinty from Clogher, Barnesmore first noticed some of his sheep were missing in August and more have disappeared since.
“I noticed the first sheep gone back in August when I gathered them for clipping. I had three of four quiet ewes that I knew very well and when they didn’t come when I called I knew there was something wrong.
“I had around 140 ewes on the hill and 15 were missing at that point.
“Around here it wouldn’t be uncommon for a few sheep to be missing when you round them up and for them to turn up again the next time because we’re on vast hill-land here and we’re not checking the sheep every week,” says Declan.
“Unfortunately, when I went back to gather them at the end of October/beginning of November there were another 19 missing that I had clipped in August.
“The problem is, there are guys rustling sheep all the time and some people don’t even report it because when they are got, there is very little done. They get a small fine and it doesn’t deter them from doing it again.
“It’s hard enough to make a living as a farmer as it is without this. It takes time and money to build up sheep and get them settled in a particular area.
Declan’s farm is located on a quiet road with only a few houses nearby.
What makes the situation even worse, he says, is that “the sheep were stolen on at least two different occasions, so the thieves came back.”
“I am offering a reward of €1,000 for the return of the sheep or information leading to the prosecution of the thieve(s). They’re absolute scum and they need to be held accountable for what they have done.
“The Gardaí are involved but nothing has turned up at all and time is passing by. I had high hopes in the beginning that someone would come forward but we’ve got nowhere.”
Farmers that lose even just one or two sheep need to report it to the Gardaí, says Donegal IFA Chair, Brendan McLaughlin.
“Farmers often lose a couple of sheep or cattle and never report it, but they need to. Every single animal that can’t be accounted for needs to be reported, because thieves will steal a couple here and a couple there and they all add up.
“This is a serious offence and I think we have to be more aware of this type of theft as farmers and do more checks on our stock.
“This is a time when people could be short of money, coming up to Christmas and this thuggery needs to be called out. Anyone who has any snippet of information on the matter, no matter how small, should go to the Gardaí immediately.
“It’s a huge financial loss for this farmer and I’ve heard of a few farmers around our area that have had livestock stolen recently too.
People who are farming commonage land need to be extra vigilant says Brendan, while all farmers should make sure their farms are as secure as possible.
“I think for anyone who has commonage it’s getting to a point where they would need to have a drone to monitor their livestock. It’s a disgrace
“It’s always local knowledge, it’s not strangers that do these things, it’s people that know the community, that’s my opinion.
“Farmers need to be vigilant and make sure their yards and gates are locked. I’d advise people not to do the same thing at the same time every day – be unpredictable so that nobody knows your schedule.”