A VETERINARY inspector told a court this week that it is only a matter of days and weeks before things get drastic for the remaining 80 horses on the lands of a west Clare farmer and former show jumper.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Dr Aileen Tighe of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, said that she would be very concerned that things could go disastrously wrong on the lands of Martin Gerard Foley (66) over the next few weeks even though right now, horses on the lands were generally in okay body condition.

Commenting after a recent inspection of the lands, Dr Tighe stated: “There is no growth on the lands, the lands are very wet and there are far too many horses for the lands. The feed is very poor quality.”

She stated: “Horses can deteriorate very quickly, they can almost appear to melt overnight when they are not provided with quality feed.”

Dr Tighe was providing an update to the court concerning a June court order that Foley dispose of his 116 horses from his six different land-holdings around Kilkee in west Clare.

Animal neglect

In the ongoing case, bachelor farmer, Foley of Lislanihan, Kilkee, pleaded guilty to 20 sample animal neglect charges out of a total of 193 charges first brought against him.

Supt. Veterinary Inspector for the Clare-Limerick area for the Department of Agriculture, Dr Lorna Meaney told the court last June: “The overall scale and severity of this is unprecedented.”

Foley also pleaded guilty to dumping 12 animal carcasses over the cliffs at Baltard, Doonbeg, in west Clare in April 2014.

Foley’s sentencing hearing in June heard that horses, unable to stand, were left to die in excruciating pain on lands under his control three years ago.

Harrowing images of Foley’s dead and starving horses and cattle, in filthy conditions, had been shown to the court.

Also previously, the court heard evidence that Foley had been a ‘competitive and talented show jumper’ back in the 1970s.

Concern over remaining horses

Counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly BL, told the court this week that the State is disappointed at the rate of disposal since June as 80 horses remain on the lands. Mr Connolly said that the defendant doesn’t appear to have listened to what the court said in June. He added that it is critical that the equines have good quality feed.

Dr Tighe said that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine may have to hire professional contractors to have the horses removed at a cost of €450 to €500 per horse. Dr Tighe added that, from experience, a number of these horses would have to be destroyed.

Counsel for Foley, Mr Patrick Whyms BL, told the court that between agreed sales and sales to proceed, the number of horses remaining is 56.

He said: “Mr Foley has been doing everything he possibly can to dispose of the horses.”

Whyms added that the publicity attached to the case has made things harder for Foley in trying to sell on the animals.

He said that substantial progress has been made to date and Foley can guarantee that every effort will be made to get as close to zero as possible for the next court date.

Whyms said: “The longer we have, the smaller the problem will be.”

Judge Gerard Keys adjourned the case to November 29th next and further remanded Foley on bail.