The owner of three horses that were shot dead in the midlands last weekend is appealing for witnesses to come forward.
Speaking to a local radio station, Midlands 103, Theresa McGuinness – who owns the horses – described the trouble they experienced in the days leading up to the brutal discovery.
The horses were being held in a field in Kilcurley near Tubber in Co. Offaly; the horses had been deliberately let out of the field on at least two occasions last week, McGuinness said.
It started on bank holiday Monday. All of the horses were let out onto the main road; one of the farmers turned them in.
“We got the horse-box and brought them back to our field. We went round the whole 50ac of land to make sure it was secure.
“We got a phone call the following morning at 7:30am from the local farmer to inform us that the horses were out again. On both occasions the lock and chains [on the gate] had been cut,” she added.
Having last seen the three animals on Friday evening, June 9, the owners returned the following morning, June 10, to discover the horses shot dead.
The owner is asking anyone that might have seen or heard any suspicious activity in the area late on Friday night, or in the early hours of Saturday morning, to come forward.
It is believed the shooting could have taken place sometime after 8:00pm on Friday night. One of the horses is reportedly part of a bloodline which has been bred for over 200 years, according to Midlands 103.
Proposed ban on night-time shooting
Meanwhile, a proposed ban on night-time shooting and hunting between September and March may be on the horizon.
The proposal would see hunting and shooting banned between midnight and 6:00am during the months stated above; it is currently under review by the Firearms Consultative Panel of the Department of Justice and Equality.
However, the proposed ban has been met with hostility from some farm groups. The Irish Natura and Hill Farmers’ Association (INHFA) has recently described the changes as “unenforceable” and “unreasonable”.