The man injured by a cow running loose through the streets of Ennis, Co Clare on Thursday morning has been released from hospital.
The cow broke loose from Ennis Mart while being transferred in an unloading area before running through the downtown streets. The opportunity presented itself when a gate was closed incorrectly, according to Martin McNamara, chief executive with Clare Marts Ltd.
In a video posted on social media, the cow can be seen charging the man and knocking him against a wall. The man was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The cow was eventually surrounded by mart workers and returned to the trailer. One vehicle was also damaged during the rampage.
Mr McNamara said that while protocols are in place for the rare occasion of a loose cow, the response is largely reactionary based on how the animal is behaving.
“You can’t determine what any one cow will do,” McNamara said. He noted that these types of incidents happen “very, very rarely.”
In 2011, a runaway cow escaped from Ennis Mart and knocked over a garda and several members of the public. Their injuries were not serious and did not require hospitalisation.