A Cork farmer known in the farming community for his home-manufactured animal cures was ordered in court yesterday to pay €4,500 to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Killian Lynch snr, Ballyverane House, Macroom, Co Cork, pleaded guilty at Macroom District Court to charges of possessing illegal animal remedies for sale or supply and of impeding a Department of Agriculture officer in his duty.
Judge James O'Connor was told that following an authorised search of the farm on December 7th, 2000, it emerged that Mr Lynch was manufacturing cures for animal diseases such as orf, blackfoot and sweetage, for which there was great demand in the farming community.
His concoctions, KL Cures, had the titles Teat Clear, Orf Clear and Scratch, and were sold to three pharmacies around the State, priced at between €12 to €15 a bottle. On the products, it was stated that they produced "amazing results".
Agriculture officer Mr Brian Flaherty told the courtthat suspicions were raised after they were contacted by a vet in Waterford who treated a pony that had an adverse reaction after being treated with Scratch.
It had a severe allergic dermatitis, was in pain and discomfort and only made a slow recovery after a number of weeks, Mr Flaherty said.
The court heard that on the day of the search in December 2000, the defendant admitted that the mixtures were composed of ingredients such as paraffin oil, diesel iodine, and linseed oil. "The use of diesel in animal remedies is totally abhorrent. What Mr Lynch was doing was highly dangerous, highly illegal and remunerative," the officer said. It also emerged that the farmer refused to give the officers the invoice books and locked the door to prevent Mr Flaherty access to the room while he hid them in a washing machine. Evidence was also given that seven months after the initial investigation, officers discovered Lynch was producing the mixtures again. In another search they recovered essential items in the manufacturing process, including bottles, 1,500 labels and liquid.
It was discovered that the farmer had sold the mixtures to three pharmacies and offered to send any label the shop owner wanted for the mixture, as all three "cures" were exactly the same.
"These bottles stink from high heaven. When some of the officers put them in their car to take away, it burnt through the carpet," Mr Flaherty said.
Lynch said he started "tinkering" with the concoctions in a bid to rid his children of a bout of ringworm.
"I never expected it to work but it cleared the ringworm on the children and on the calves as well." He added he gained extra publicity when he became the subject of a Farmers' Journal article in 1993. "I never tried to hide it and I've been pestered for it even up to yesterday afternoon at the Clonakilty show," said the 51 year-old farmer, who owns nearly 200 acres on the edge of Macroom.
Judge O'Connor imposed two five month suspended sentences to run concurrently and ordered that Lynch pay €4,500 to the Society for the Prevention to Cruelty to Animals.
He also fined him €1,350, ordered him to pay costs of €650 and directed the seizure and destruction of all items used in the manufacturing process.