A County Westmeath couple who had 100 livestock stolen this week have asked Armagh I to share their appeal for help in finding their animals.
Christa and Niall Dillon, of Blackhill Eventing, are desperate for the return of 75 cattle and 25 sheep.
It is one of the biggest ever single thefts of livestock in the Republic.
It happened on Thursday and the couple say there is CCTV footage of a lorry and drag trailer – a new white Scania – and a double decker, white with distinctive white skirting, driving at speed through Tyrrellspass at 2.01am on Thursday morning.
The IFA have offered a reward of €10,000 and the Dillons have taken to contact media outlets to help spread the word.
“We can’t express enough how devastated we are,” they said. “We were looking at them on Sunday and saying how lucky we are that all our hard work has given us such beautiful quality,quiet stock.
“We love our cattle, they are family to us and it feels like the heart has been ripped out of the farm. Eighty-three per cent of our herd is gone.”
Photographs of the animals are also being circulated to vets and factories so that people will be on the lookout.
If you know anything at all no matter how small or irrelevant you make think it is please contact Athlone Garda Station at 090 6498550, The Garda Confidential Line 1800 666111 or any Garda Station.
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