Hillwalkers urged to leave dogs at home after sheep attacked

People have been urged not to take dogs with them when hiking or hillwalking after a number of recent attacks on sheep in upland areas.

Mountaineering Ireland, a represntative group for mountaineers and hillwalkers, on Friday said it supported a call from farmers in the Mount Brandon area of Co Kerry for walkers not to take dogs onto the hills.

Helen Lawless, the group’s access and conservation officer, said the presence of a dog causes stress to sheep and that some dogs, when not on leads, may chase and injure other animals.

She was speaking after a number of incidents around Mount Brandon on the Dingle Peninsula prompted farmers to complain of dogs chasing sheep, which resulted in injuries and stress-related reactions such as miscarriages.

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Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin has raised the issue in parliamentary question after being contacted by landowners about the issue.

“They are bringing dogs up the mountain without any leads and leaving them run free after their sheep. Dogs are not permitted on Carrauntoohil and Mount Brandon and this needs to be extended to Caherconree,” he said.

A farmer from the Mount Brandon area, John Joe Mac Gearailt, told RTÉ that since the onset of the pandemic he had seen a big increase in the number of people exercising on the hills, some with dogs off leads.

“We are seeing these dogs chasing our sheep, hounding them into rough ground where they are breaking legs and driving them over cliffs. I saw six of my sheep killed after being driven off a cliff by a loose dog,” he said.

There have been reports of similar problems in Co Sligo.

Ms Lawless appealed to all walkers and climbers to respect farm animals and wildlife by not taking dogs onto the hills.

Over the last two weeks, she said, Mountaineering Ireland has been liaising with IFA representatives and the rural recreation officer in Kerry.