Gardai are investigating a confrontation between farmers in Callan, Co Kilkenny, and members of a local fox hunt.
Shots were fired in two separate incidents leading to the death of a number of hounds belonging to the Kilmoganny Fox Harriers, based in the south of the county.
In the second incident, over 20 cartridges were discharged from a double-barrelled shotgun by the owner of the gun, Mr Philip Lynch, Mallardstown, Callan.
Mr Lynch claimed yesterday to have hit and wounded a number of dogs as they came out of a wood and chased a fox.
A former chairman of the Irish Farmers' Association in Kilkenny, Mr Lynch said he also attempted to shoot the fox the hounds were chasing but missed it.
He said his actions were prompted by his desire to save animals which were in an adjoining field where the dogs were headed in pursuit of the fox.
Mr Lynch also claimed he heard a number of shots after he fired and understood the hunt was putting down a number of animals. He believed the number to be four or five.
"These people are not abiding by the Country Code agreed with landowners and signed by all groups using the land, including the hunts," he claimed.
The master of the Kilmoganny Fox Harriers, Mr Ivan Dowley, denied Mr Lynch's version of events and said only two hounds were missing.
He could not say if other animals were injured during the hunt and no dogs were put down.
He did not comment on allegations the hunt had entered land where landowners had expressly forbidden it to enter.
A spokesman for the Garda said they were called to an incident outside Callan between 2.30 p.m and 3 p.m on Wednesday afternoon.
He said they were investigating a report that a number of farm animals had been worried by dogs.
The spokesman said inquiries were continuing and would not comment on any details.
Over 40 farmers in the Callan area made it clear some time ago they did not want horses or dogs on their lands and placed advertisements in the local newspaper, the Kilkenny People, stating their lands were preserved.
The first incident occurred at Pollock, Callan, where shots were fired in the air after hounds from the hunt were identified close to pens where sheep were lambing on the farm of Mr Terry Audoire.
The hunt master, Mr Dowley, said the incident had been blown out of all proportion and the hunt would issue a statement in due course. He declined to comment until the statement.
The secretary of the IFA in Kilkenny, Mr Syl Ryan, Graignamanagh, said he was deeply concerned at what happened and would be trying to resolve the matter through a local liaison committee set up to deal with such incidents. He said due care and consideration should be shown by both sides.