Oliver McDonnell, a 59-year-old farmer from Ballyforan, Co Roscommon, was sentenced to six months in prison for 19 breaches of the Animal Health and Welfare Act after nine horses died due to severe neglect on his farms in December 2023. The court heard that despite multiple warnings from the Department of Agriculture, McDonnell failed to provide adequate food, water, and care, resulting in horses suffering from starvation, dehydration, and untreated illnesses, including one whose belly had burst from intestinal worms. Several horses were euthanised, and skeletal remains of others were found on his property. Judge Kenneth Connolly described the conditions as “truly sickening” and “the stuff of nightmares,” imposing a lifetime ban on McDonnell owning horses and ordering him to pay €1,000 to the equine charity Hungry Horse Outside.

While acknowledging McDonnell’s vulnerability and his role as a caregiver to his siblings, the judge emphasized that his illness was no excuse for the animals’ suffering. McDonnell pleaded guilty and has since complied with the ban on horse ownership. The judge suspended 12 months of an 18-month custodial sentence, underscoring that McDonnell must never again be responsible for horses due to the “horrific, neglectful treatment” that led to their painful deaths.