Ten cattle were killed after the tree they were sheltering under was struck by lightning in Butlersbridge in Co. Cavan earlier in the week.

Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan Brendan Smith told The Anton Savage Show that “the thoughts of all of us are with the farmer”.

“The animals were out in the field, they would have sought shelter because there was torrential downpour of rain at one particular stage on Friday evening, and I presume that the lightning struck them,” he said.

“They were so unfortunate to be hit, it’s a very rare incident we hear of over the years, of isolated incidents of cattle being killed outdoors through lightning.

“I know, having grown up on a farm and living in a farming community, that the loss of animals through disease or through an exceptionally rare incident like the strike of lightning takes an emotional toll as well.

“It had to be an awful and terrible shock to the farmer to discover that number of livestock dead.”

Cow.

Deputy Smith said the effect of this incident is not something that can be easily rectified on a farm.

“We all know that you just don’t switch on and off animal breeding,” he said.

“Cattle are in farms for generations, and the vast majority of farmers breed their own animals, they keep breeding them, and they buy in the minimal amount of cattle because the less movement of animals reduces risk of disease as well.”

According to Deputy Smith, this demonstrates the havoc that weather-related incidents can cause for the farming community.

Main image: A herd of cows, © PA Wire/PA Images