Gruesome discovery: Mystery over 'butchered animal' carcass by river in Limerick

MYSTERY surrounds an animal’s carcass found dumped on the banks of - and in - a tributary in rural west Limerick.

A man contacted the Limerick Leader about the “disgraceful and shocking” cruelty and pollution incident.

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He said the carcass of the animal, thought to be a sheep, was dumped at Clonmore, Dromcollogher.

“The bones were thrown on the bank of the river and into it. It's a tributary of the River Deel. 

“I’d say it was killed, skinned and they took the meat off it for the deep freeze. It was butchered,” the man, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Leader.

He said some red meat was left rotting on the carcass.

“It was being picked off by magpies and crows,” he said.

The man continued: “We don’t know where this animal came from. It must have been done in the dead of night. We are thinking a sheep was stolen.”

He said Limerick City and County Council was contacted and staff promptly took away the carcass on the banks of the tributary.

However, he claimed some bones remained in the watercourse. 

“This is a pollution concern,” said the man, who supplied photos.

The Leader contacted the council who confirmed an issue had been raised with their customer services team last month.

“Our Newcastle West team completed a clean-up operation,” said a council spokesperson.

The local authority spokesperson said they could not speculate as to the cause of death of the animal. They also liaised with the Department of Agriculture over the incident.

“They advised that no action could be taken against the animal owner as it was impossible to identify same. 

“As there were no identifying tags the owner could not have been prosecuted for not disposing of the carcass correctly and for causing pollution to the watercourse,” said the council spokesperson.