Of course, growing up in Belfast stretched to cats, dogs, gerbils and rabbits. When I moved out of the city in my early 20’s, I found a new appreciation for both farmers and their livestock, and it has only been in the last ten years, that I added farm animals to the ‘family’. Hens, horses and lambs all became part of rural life, and whilst I haven’t ventured into cattle, I get my cow-fix when the farmer regularly holds his beef cattle in the adjoining field to my property, and what stunning beasts they are.
It will come as no surprise after that intro, that I will never be cruel to an animal (and would move heaven and earth to reek karma on anyone who did) however, I’m not a vegetarian and am pragmatic in realising that at certain stages, it is a fact of rural life that animals at times need to be humanely culled.
When I first heard about the situation in Fivemiletown, my initial reaction was profound sadness and shock that all those animals were literally chased down and murdered in front of one another and in sight of the public. This was inconceivably cruel. It was only once I had started to see other online reports and speaking with farmers that I became aware of the background to this barbaric act by the very Dept who’s responsibility it is to ensure the welfare of livestock.
It will come as no surprise after that intro, that I will never be cruel to an animal (and would move heaven and earth to reek karma on anyone who did) however, I’m not a vegetarian and am pragmatic in realising that at certain stages, it is a fact of rural life that animals at times need to be humanely culled.
When I first heard about the situation in Fivemiletown, my initial reaction was profound sadness and shock that all those animals were literally chased down and murdered in front of one another and in sight of the public. This was inconceivably cruel. It was only once I had started to see other online reports and speaking with farmers that I became aware of the background to this barbaric act by the very Dept who’s responsibility it is to ensure the welfare of livestock.
These animals were not feral, they were not emaciated nor had they TB. This perfectly healthy herd had not been ‘euthanised’ as the Minister stated. Euthanasia is a humane form of taking away the suffering of a sick or injured animal - this was wanton murder of beasts. Reports from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA? stated initially that these animals were ‘feral.’ Again, I’d be ‘feral’ if someone came running at me with a sniper and was systematically killing my herd mates. In Elsie McGarvey's own words at the Parliamentary committee meeting on 10th August 2026, there was a history of TB testing – meaning they weren’t That feral that they couldn’t be tested. All of the animals bar one (most probably one of the calves) had been tagged and were registered as being on NIFAIS. (Northern Ireland Food Animal Information System)
If this was just a ‘one – off’ then, perhaps, Mr Muir's position and that of Senior Vet staff would be safe. However, since this crisis has become public knowledge, we, the public, are being made aware of the way farmers and their livestock are and have been treated in recent years. I watched with tears in my eyes, a video of cattle lying in inches of their own blood, in the background the elderly farmer could be heard crying “them cattle aren’t even dead”. And they weren’t.
If this was just a ‘one – off’ then, perhaps, Mr Muir's position and that of Senior Vet staff would be safe. However, since this crisis has become public knowledge, we, the public, are being made aware of the way farmers and their livestock are and have been treated in recent years. I watched with tears in my eyes, a video of cattle lying in inches of their own blood, in the background the elderly farmer could be heard crying “them cattle aren’t even dead”. And they weren’t.
Some readers will find the video extremely distressing.
Is this the type of thing DAERA Scappaticci-like nutting squads do as part pf their culling? Whoever gunned down these animals lacked the decency to ensure they were dispatched humanely and quickly. There were at least two animals still writhing in the blood, sweat steaming off the dead compatriots next to them. It is one of the worse things I have had the misfortune to witness.
Another video showed 2 pigs - animals for which a rescue plan was being devised - grazing on a hill, which had been verified as having been slaughtered needlessly by DAERA, and then the bodies left to rot! Every day, there are more verified horror stories coming out about the abject cruelty of a Government Department, even though Ms McGarvey seemed to infer that the photos seen online “had not been verified.” Is she suggesting that someone has fabricated the photos of healthy dead cattle? Surely it would have been easily verified had she asked those present at the cull if those were the cattle they murdered.
Now, turn the tables. Think of this: the owner of the cattle in Fivemiletown was convicted of animal cruelty, in other words, if he had have let his cattle writhe in pain in its own blood, what would his penalty be? Well, under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, the farmer could, quite rightly, be sentenced up to 5 years for unnecessary suffering, bearing in mind, this includes mental suffering. So, what is the difference between a farmer committing an offence and the very Dept which its very existence is to enforce and ensure the welfare of livestock?
The Department, and ultimately, the DAERA Minister and his senior lackies must be made accountable for the dreadful crimes of cruelty against defenceless healthy animals. He must answer why he allows this practice of killing healthy animals with such barbaric consequences. The buck stops with him.
In relation to the ‘independent’ (though not that independent and external) review, I understand why farmers have no faith in the independence of this appointment. To be fair to Dr Martin Blake, there is no-one within farming circles who are questioning his abilities, however, since DAERA and Irelands’ Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine work closely together - and in the Department's own words the Humane Slaughter Team “assist in operations all over the Island of Ireland” - I would be of the opinion that Mr Muir could have found a more suitable ‘independent’ external reviewer. I would be worried that if DAERA are routinely practicing slaughter such as the videos have evidenced, it could also be assumed that the Dept in Ireland also have those practices. If this is the case, then an inquiry must be undertaken to ensure these policies change – and urgently.
I have been taken aback by the Alliance Party, yet again, blaming everyone else and gaslighting Unionist politicians for making this a political issue. Naomi Long must be blind, deaf and dumb not to have seen the reaction by ordinary people, from Both sections of the community who are equally appalled by the revelations we have seen. Agriculture is our biggest industry, using approximately 75% of our land for farming and food production, supporting at least 51,000 jobs for local people in areas where industry is scarce. Hopefully, the party is not attempting to make this scandal a matter of Green Vs Orange. I personally have been in contact with a woman from a farming background in Tyrone, who is just as horrified by the Dept and the scandalous practices that are taking place against (on the whole smaller farmers) day in day out.
And that leads me to wonder, why are the smaller farmers finding it so difficult to stay afloat and abide by the Department's stringent and oftentimes ridiculous rules? I, for one, want to buy and eat meat which is traceable to whichever farm it came from. That’s what puts our farming industry head and shoulders above other countries. We undoubtedly have the best food supply in Europe. So whilst we can capitalise on this amazing industry, Mr Muir seems to be pushing ahead for net zero. His predecessor had a tad more knowledge in that whilst he saw the need to look at the effects of climate change, he was in opposition to net zero as he was savvy enough to know that this would have a catastrophic impact on small farmers.
The attitude by the Minister in the ‘speech’ he gave in relation to the Ulster Farmers Union when he robustly and, I have to say, relatively aggressively told them that they need to butt out and that he’s not beholden to them was, quite frankly, just another example of the way Alliance treat the electorate. Mr Muir seems to forget that he in fact, Is there to be accountable to the public, including farmers!
So can we look back at DAERA’s shame in the needless slaughter (not euthanasia) of 50 healthy cattle, and see it as a view forward and the Slaughter of the small farmer? Time will tell.
Now, turn the tables. Think of this: the owner of the cattle in Fivemiletown was convicted of animal cruelty, in other words, if he had have let his cattle writhe in pain in its own blood, what would his penalty be? Well, under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011, the farmer could, quite rightly, be sentenced up to 5 years for unnecessary suffering, bearing in mind, this includes mental suffering. So, what is the difference between a farmer committing an offence and the very Dept which its very existence is to enforce and ensure the welfare of livestock?
The Department, and ultimately, the DAERA Minister and his senior lackies must be made accountable for the dreadful crimes of cruelty against defenceless healthy animals. He must answer why he allows this practice of killing healthy animals with such barbaric consequences. The buck stops with him.
In relation to the ‘independent’ (though not that independent and external) review, I understand why farmers have no faith in the independence of this appointment. To be fair to Dr Martin Blake, there is no-one within farming circles who are questioning his abilities, however, since DAERA and Irelands’ Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine work closely together - and in the Department's own words the Humane Slaughter Team “assist in operations all over the Island of Ireland” - I would be of the opinion that Mr Muir could have found a more suitable ‘independent’ external reviewer. I would be worried that if DAERA are routinely practicing slaughter such as the videos have evidenced, it could also be assumed that the Dept in Ireland also have those practices. If this is the case, then an inquiry must be undertaken to ensure these policies change – and urgently.
I have been taken aback by the Alliance Party, yet again, blaming everyone else and gaslighting Unionist politicians for making this a political issue. Naomi Long must be blind, deaf and dumb not to have seen the reaction by ordinary people, from Both sections of the community who are equally appalled by the revelations we have seen. Agriculture is our biggest industry, using approximately 75% of our land for farming and food production, supporting at least 51,000 jobs for local people in areas where industry is scarce. Hopefully, the party is not attempting to make this scandal a matter of Green Vs Orange. I personally have been in contact with a woman from a farming background in Tyrone, who is just as horrified by the Dept and the scandalous practices that are taking place against (on the whole smaller farmers) day in day out.
And that leads me to wonder, why are the smaller farmers finding it so difficult to stay afloat and abide by the Department's stringent and oftentimes ridiculous rules? I, for one, want to buy and eat meat which is traceable to whichever farm it came from. That’s what puts our farming industry head and shoulders above other countries. We undoubtedly have the best food supply in Europe. So whilst we can capitalise on this amazing industry, Mr Muir seems to be pushing ahead for net zero. His predecessor had a tad more knowledge in that whilst he saw the need to look at the effects of climate change, he was in opposition to net zero as he was savvy enough to know that this would have a catastrophic impact on small farmers.
The attitude by the Minister in the ‘speech’ he gave in relation to the Ulster Farmers Union when he robustly and, I have to say, relatively aggressively told them that they need to butt out and that he’s not beholden to them was, quite frankly, just another example of the way Alliance treat the electorate. Mr Muir seems to forget that he in fact, Is there to be accountable to the public, including farmers!
So can we look back at DAERA’s shame in the needless slaughter (not euthanasia) of 50 healthy cattle, and see it as a view forward and the Slaughter of the small farmer? Time will tell.
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| Lesley Stock is a former PSNI and RUC Officer currently involved in community work. |
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