A farmer in his 40s was left with facial injuries and significant amounts of bruising, after he was attacked by a bull over the bank holiday weekend.

It is believed the accident occurred on a farm situated close to the border of counties Laois and Carlow, on the main road between Portlaoise and Carlow (N80).

The man is understood to have been in amongst a pen of feeding bulls when one of the animals turned on him.

He managed to pull himself to safety and phone for assistance. It is thought that the man was brought to hospital for medical assistance, but his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

The injured man is understood to be living and farming on his own.

Elderly man crushed while loading livestock

Meanwhile, an elderly man was crushed when he was trapped against a gate while loading livestock at Castlerea Mart in Co. Roscommon.

The farmer, a man in his 70s, was loading the animals onto a truck on Saturday (October 28) when the accident occurred.

An Garda Siochana confirmed that the man received serious head injuries as a result of the accident and was subsequently taken to hospital.

In other news, machinery worth thousands of euros was destroyed when a shed in Mullen, Frenchpark, Co. Roscommon caught fire.

The blaze reportedly broke out in the sheds of Pat Lavin Plant Hire, an agricultural contracting business, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Gardai from Castlerea attended the scene, while fire brigades from Boyle and Ballaghaderreen battled the blaze through the night – from approximately 1:00am until 8:00am on Sunday morning.

It is understood that five New Holland tractors, a silage baler and other machinery were destroyed in the fire. Gardai are investigating the cause of the blaze; however, it is believed that is was not started maliciously.