A 21-year-old man in Co. Limerick has pleaded guilty to setting fire to a hay barn belonging to an agricultural college, according to the Limerick Leader.

Seamus McCarthy, from Knocknasna near Abbeyfeale, reportedly pleaded guilty to a single charge of arson at Limerick Circuit Court recently.

The charge relates to a fire at Copeswood Dairy Farm, Shannon Grove, Pallaskenry in west Co. Limerick in the early hours of September 24, 2014 – almost three years ago.

According to the Limerick Leader, the hay barn – which was completely burnt – was located in the dairy yard at Teagasc’s Pallaskenry Agricultural College.

No other buildings or machinery were damaged as a result of the fire; bales of straw and hay were destroyed in the flames. Thankfully, it was reported that no livestock or people were injured.

It is believed attempts were made by farm staff to spray water on the blaze prior to the emergency services arriving. A total of four units of the fire service attended the scene.

Following a Garda investigation, McCarthy was arrested and charged, the Limerick Leader reported. The young man is set to be sentenced at a future date.

This wasn’t the first shed to be deliberately set alight on the agricultural college’s farm. A number of years prior to the incident in 2014 – another shed on a different part of the farm went up in flames; it was also allegedly started on purpose.

Tractor engulfed in flames while drawing in bales

Last weekend, as the silage season was in full-swing, one unlucky farmer in the midlands saw his tractor go up in flames as it was drawing in bales.

Taking advantage of the good weather, the farmer was making baled silage. His 2WD Massey Ferguson 390 tractor had been drawing in bales all day on Sunday, June 18.

The fire is believed to have possibly begun in the dash, with the flames engulfing the tractor quite quickly.

Fire, Tractor, Silage

Despite the fire brigade arriving promptly on the scene, the tractor had already gone past the point of saving.