Thursday 29 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 10352Sheep worrying · Co. Longford · 13 Mar 2026

St Bernard dogs kill about 50 sheep in Longford after pound escape

On Thursday 12 March 2026, two St Bernard dogs attacked sheep on two farms in the Clonart area of Longford. On Friday 13 March, after escaping a Longford County Council pound that morning, they attacked sheep on a farm on the outskirts of Longford town. Sources differ on the total, with one report giving around 50 sheep killed and another up to 60 killed, injured or missing, and on the third farm 21 of 27 ewes were killed. One dog was shot by a man on the farm and the other was recovered injured the following morning and later euthanised by the Longford Dog Warden, and the council has confirmed both dogs are dead. Gardaí and the council are still investigating, and no arrests or charges have been reported as of the latest article on 25 March 2026.

  1. Reported18 Mar
    3 reports
  2. Arrested
  3. Charged
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Two St Bernard dogs attacked sheep in three separate incidents in County Longford.
  • On the third farm, 21 of 27 ewes were killed and up to 30 lambs were mauled and killed.
  • Sources differ on the total: one says around 50 sheep were killed, and another says up to 60 were killed, injured or missing.
Where
Two sheep kills occurred on farms in the Clonart area, and a third occurred on a farm on the outskirts of Longford town.
When
  • The first two attacks took place on Thursday 12 March 2026.
  • The third attack took place on Friday 13 March 2026, the morning after the dogs escaped the pound.
Cause
  • The dogs had been seized by Longford County Council's Dog Control Service after sheep-worrying incidents on two farms and were held at a council pound.
  • The dogs escaped from their enclosure at the pound on the morning of 13 March under suspicious circumstances.
Other details
  • A man shot one of the dogs, and the other dog got away injured.
  • Longford County Council has confirmed that both dogs involved in the attacks are now dead.
  • Longford County Council expressed sympathy to the farmers and landowners who suffered losses.
Investigation
  • Gardaí recovered the second dog the following morning, injured but alive, and the Longford Dog Warden later euthanised it.
  • Gardaí said investigations are ongoing, and Longford County Council is looking into how the dogs escaped the pound.
Charges
No arrests or charges have been reported in the articles.
32 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatTwo St Bernard dogs mauled and killed around 50 sheep on a farm on the outskirts of Longford town. (longfordleader.ie, leitrimobserver.ie)
  • whatThe attack on the third farm led to 21 of 27 ewes being killed. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whereGardaí are investigating two sheep kills on farms in the Clonart area. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whereThe third attack was on a farm on the outskirts of Longford town. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whereGardaí are investigating two sheep kills on farms in Clonart and a third attack on the outskirts of Longford town. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whereGardaí investigated two sheep kills on farms in the Clonart area of Longford. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • whenThe first two attacks took place on Thursday, March 12. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whenThe first two attacks happened on Thursday 12 March 2026. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whenThe dogs escaped from the pound on the morning of Friday 13 March. (longfordleader.ie)
  • whenThe first two attacks happened on Thursday, 12 March. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • whenThe third attack happened on Friday, 13 March. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • causeThe dogs escaped from the pound under suspicious circumstances. (longfordleader.ie)
  • causeThe dogs had been seized by the council's Dog Control Service following sheep-worrying incidents on two farms. (longfordleader.ie)
  • causeThe dogs were brought to the council's pound but escaped from their enclosure. (longfordleader.ie)
  • causeThe sheep were attacked by two St Bernard dogs. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • investigationGardaí recovered the second dog the following morning, injured but alive. (longfordleader.ie)
  • investigationGardaí said investigations are ongoing. (longfordleader.ie)
  • investigationLongford County Council is also reportedly investigating how the dogs got out of the pound. (longfordleader.ie)
  • investigationGardaí searched for the second dog and recovered it the following morning, injured but alive. (longfordleader.ie)
  • investigationThe council is looking into how the dogs escaped. (longfordleader.ie)
  • investigationA garda investigation recovered the second dog, which was injured but still alive. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • otherOn the third farm, 21 ewes were killed. (longfordleader.ie)
  • otherA farmer shot one of the dogs and injured the other, which got away. (longfordleader.ie)
  • otherThe Longford Dog Warden took possession of the recovered dog, which was euthanised. (longfordleader.ie)
  • otherA man shot one of the dogs and injured the second, which got away. (longfordleader.ie)
  • otherThe council confirmed that the dogs involved in the attacks are now dead. (longfordleader.ie)
  • otherThe dogs had been brought to a council pound and escaped from their enclosure. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • otherThe dogs escaped the pound on the morning of Friday, 13 March and ran onto a farm on the outskirts of Longford town. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • otherThe third attack left 21 of 27 ewes dead, and up to 30 lambs were mauled and killed. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • otherThe Longford Dog Warden took possession of the injured dog, which was then euthanised. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • otherThe dogs involved in the attacks are now dead. (leitrimobserver.ie)
  • otherLongford County Council is looking into how the dogs escaped from the pound. (leitrimobserver.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 25 Mar2026
    Reportedleitrimobserver.ie, first report
    Pound escape dogs leave trail of carnage as 50 sheep killed in Longford

    The article reports the third attack in detail, when the dogs escaped the council pound on the morning of Friday 13 March, and describes the earlier attacks on 12 March in the Clonart area. It adds council and farmer comments about the escape and the dogs being destroyed.

  2. 19 Mar2026
    Reportedlongfordleader.ie, follow-up
    Dogs behind devastating Longford sheep kill had escaped council pound prior to attack

    Adds that the dogs escaped the pound on the morning of 13 March, how the third attack unfolded, that the council is investigating the escape, and that the dogs are now deceased after a man shot one and the other was recovered injured and later put down.

  3. 18 Mar2026
    Reportedlongfordleader.ie, follow-up
    Vicious dogs killed or maimed up to 60 sheep during third Longford sheep kill in 24-hours

    Adds that the third attack left up to 60 sheep killed, injured or missing, gives 21 ewes killed, reports that one dog was shot and the other recovered injured and later euthanised, and notes that gardaí and Longford County Council are investigating how the dogs escaped the pound.