Patrick Walsh – a farmer from Lispopple, Swords, Co. Dublin – was left unconscious after being severely beaten on his farm recently.
Walsh went to hospital after the incident and had to receive six stitches under his eye. He also dislocated a shoulder and had four cracked ribs after he was subjected to the brutal attack that took place about 150m from his home.
A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana confirmed that Gardai are investigating an alleged assault in the Swords area in Co. Dublin on Sunday, September 2, at approximately 8:30pm.
The statement explained that the injured party was assaulted by two males and two other males were in a car. The statement also said that no arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
Speaking on today’s Sean O’Rourke show on RTE Radio 1, Walsh explained what happened.
He got a call from his mother to say that there were two men with dogs in one of the fields and that the cattle “were all gone mad“.
He got into his jeep to see what was going on and he met a car with two males in it on the lane at his farm. He stopped the occupants of the car and asked them if they were in his field, but they denied that they were and drove on.
When he returned to his house he noticed two other men in his field heading for a gate about 150m from his house.
Walsh got into his jeep again and went down to see what was going on. Once he got out of the jeep, the farmer was struck by one of the men.
“All I remember is a flash out of my right eye; it was obviously where one of them hit me.
The four of them must have had a go at me and the next thing I can remember is waking up with my face stuck to the road.
Concluding, Walsh said: “This is an ongoing problem around here that is gradually getting worse. These guys are out with dogs after hares and they set the stock that are in the fields mad.”