Stolen West Cork Cattle Recovered After Garda Search Operation
18 stolen cattle recovered in West Cork search operation; man in his 30s arrested. All livestock returned to Skibbereen farm owner.
All 18 cattle stolen from a Skibbereen farm two weeks ago have been recovered following a search operation in Ballydehob, with one man arrested in connection with the investigation.
Gardaí from the Serious Crime Units in Clonakilty, Bandon and Bantry, supported by the Divisional Search Team and the Department of Agriculture, conducted the search operation in the Ballydehob area on Monday, 8th December 2025.
The operation was part of ongoing investigations into the theft of 18 cattle from a farm in the Lakelands area of Skibbereen, which occurred overnight on Monday, 24th November 2025.
As a result of the searches, all 18 cattle have been found, identified and returned to their owner.
A male in his 30s was arrested during the operation and conveyed to a Garda station in County Cork. He is currently being detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
The investigation involved coordination between multiple Garda units and the Department of Agriculture, which assisted with the identification and verification of the recovered livestock.
Enquiries are ongoing at this time with the continued assistance of the Department of Agriculture.
