A Cork farmer, who gathered fame in the farming community for his home-brewed animal cures was ordered to pay €4,500 to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, at a Cork District Court today.
Killian Lynch Snr- of 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 old-fashioned 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 country, priced at between €12-15 a bottle, on which it stated that they produced 'amazing results'.
Agriculture officer Mr Brian Flaherty told the court that all animal remedies are regulated by the Medicines Board and that no remedy can come on the market unless it is authorised to do so.
He said that all remedies have to fit the criteria of quality, safety and efficacy and that considerable danger lies in the use of unlicensed products.
"Our suspicions were raised after we 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 comprised of ingredients such as paraffin oil, diesel iodine, and linseed oil.
"The use of diesel in animal remedies is totally abhorrent. The market is regulated and this kind of event is a rarity. What Mr Lynch was doing was highly dangerous, highly illegal and remunerative," the Department of Agriculture officer said.
It also emerged that the farmer refused to give the officers the invoice books, locking the door to prevent Mr Flaherty access into the room while he hid them in a washing machine.
Evidence was also given that seven months after the initial investigation, officers discovered that Lynch was brewing the mixtures once more, and following a search of the premises recovered essential items in the manufacturing process, including bottles, 1500 labels and liquid. It was discovered that the farmer had sold the mixtures to three pharmacies, namely Feed Addidatives, MacCurtain Street, Fermoy; Molloy's Pharmacy, Garden Street, Ballina, Co Mayo; and The Farm Shop, Main Street, Borrisokane, Co Tipperary. The court heard that the farmer 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. The product is unauthorised, manufactured illegally from products that are clearly undesirable," Mr Flaherty said. The father of 11 children told the Judge that he gathered the knowledge of animal remedies from his father, and that 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. I don't consider myself a lawbreaker, but when I told friends about it they wanted a sample, and word spread," Lynch said, adding that he gained extra publicity when he became the subject of a Farmer's 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. "I started up again after being investigated because people were asking me for it and I don't like to see animals suffering" Judge O'Connor imposed a five month suspended sentence on Lynch, and ordered that he 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.