‘Three Musketeers’ from Tipperary admit crossing county boundary to illegally hunt rabbits

THREE young men from County Tipperary will be sentenced early next year after they pleaded guilty to trespassing with the intention of illegally hunting on lands in County Limerick.

Brothers Patrick Delaney, aged 23, and Philip Delaney, aged 20, both of Carrowclough, Tipperary Town, appeared before Limerick District Court in Kilmallock along with Patrick O’Reilly, aged 21, of Wallers Lot, Cashel, County Tipperary.

The three appeared before the court charged with entering onto lands with dogs without lawful permission under the Wildlife Act 1976.

Inspector Barry Manton told the court that on May 23, 2025, the three men were observed on private lands at Rathmore North, Croom, County Limerick.

They had three lurcher dogs with them and had intended to hunt rabbits on the land.

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At approximately 8:42am, they were approached by a member of An Garda Síochána, who told them they were in breach of the Wildlife Act.

Solicitor Michael O’Donnell told the court the three men were fully co-operative with gardaí and that they later “accepted that they shouldn’t have been there”.

He added that his clients, none of whom work, have a significant interest in horses and dogs and he asked the court to note that none of them have come to the attention of gardai since. 

The oldest of the three, Patrick Delaney, also appeared before the court charged with a connected offence of allowing his car to be used in the commission of an offence contrary to the Wildlife Act 1976.

He has one previous conviction for a similar hunting offence, which occurred on November 4, 2024 and resulted in a €200 fine being imposed.

Judge Patricia Harney expressed concern that Patrick Delaney has been convicted of a previous offence and that he had brazenly brought two younger men along with him on the morning.

She said she would have to give “serious consideration” to disqualifying him from driving, given that his car had been used in the commission of the offence.

She added that the 23-year-old has “a bit of a hill to climb” in comparison to the other defendants because he was driving the car involved in the incident and has a previous conviction.

"It's an illegal activity and he can't keep doing it."

Judge Harney requested that a Probation Service report be compiled to assess the three young men who she described as “the three musketeers”, adding that she wanted to know “an awful lot more” about their lifestyle.

The case was adjourned until January 23, 2026, for the preparation of the report.