Sheep farmer successfully appeals firearms decision in Carlow District Court
Carlow courthouse Photo: Michael O'Rourke
A SHEEP farmer was able to appeal a decision not to grant him a firearms licence after he undertook only to use it on vermin on his land before Judge Catherine Ryan at Carlow District Court.
The initial decision not to grant Seamus Hayes (62), Kilcoltrim, Borris a renewal of his firearm licence for a rifle and shotgun on 6 February appeared to be related to a conviction of harassment against Mr Hayes on 6 November 2024 at Kilkenny District Court. He received a sentence of six months in prison, suspended for 12 months, for the offence, which involved excessive contact by phone and letters to local mart members over concerns about its ownership on 1 August 2017.
He did not issue threats to use a firearm and did not stalk any members during the commission of the offence.
His solicitor Chris Hogan said that Mr Hayes had held licences for over 40 years and the garda superintendent acknowledged that there was no evidence of him using firearms incompetently. Mr Hogan said his client had a good reason for holding firearms, being a sheep farmer of approximately 100 acres of land whose sheep get attacked by foxes regularly.
The superintendent confirmed that Mr Hayes had no difficulty with intoxicants and received a clean bill of mental and physical health from his GP. The suspended sentence was never activated and has concluded. He was fully co-operative and handed over his firearms to gardaí in November 2025.
The gardaí were satisfied to grant Mr Hayes the return of his licence and firearms if he gave an undertaking to the court to keep his firearms secure at all times, not to increase the number of guns in his ownership, acknowledge his responsibilities in owning firearms and the importance of public safety.
“There would be absolutely no need to use them outside of my own land,” Mr Hayes told Judge Ryan. If he sees vermin, he shoots at them, but “I’m not necessarily a good enough shot to hit them,” he said amusedly.
It was permitted for him to travel with the firearms to his different parcels of land if he kept the component parts separate.
Mr Hayes was appreciative of the decision to restore his licence: “Thank you, judge – I appreciate it judge.”
