A farmer accused of multiple animal cruelty charges in Elphin, Co Roscommon, has had his bail revoked and sent to jail until his trial.
Judge Kenneth Connolly made the decision in Roscommon Circuit Court this afternoon.
Sean Coughlan, of Cum, Lahardane, Ballina, Co Mayo, is charged with 40 counts of animal cruelty and alleged related offences at his dairy farm in Laragan, Elphin.
A further 38 charges relate to his company, Coughlan Farming Limited.
The Department of Agriculture alleges up to 500 calves died on the Elphin farm between 2023 and 2025.
Coughlan has pleaded not guilty and had been on bail, ahead of his trial in June.
This month, the Director of Public Prosecutions sought to revoke his bail, alleging he’d failed to respond to correspondence from the Department of Agriculture in November 2025 and January 2026.
They said this broke his bail conditions, which Coughlan denied.
On Tuesday, a veterinary inspector for the department said 15 calves were found dead on his Elphin farm during an inspection just over two weeks ago (March 9).
This morning, the DPP said the department was proposing revised bail conditions, in addition to the existing ones.
They said, if Coughlan accepted them, they’d withdraw their application to revoke his bail.
However, Coughlan said he wasn’t accepting them.
Coughlan later said he had heard rumours on the grapevine that, if his bail was revoked today, the Roscommon District Veterinary Office would go to his farm tomorrow and shoot 120 of his animals and send them to a knackery.
Responding to this, a barrister for the DPP said the department would have a range of options available to it in such a case, and animal welfare would be their priority.
This afternoon, Judge Kenneth Connolly revoked Coughlan’s bail immediately.
He said he broke bail conditions given in October 2025, namely: “That Mr Sean Coughlan shall comply with any lawful requirements in writing from an authorised officer of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.”
Judge Connolly found Coughlan continued to move animals between his farms without permits and compliance.
He said he was directed to cease this practice immediately, but did not do so.
Judge Connolly said Coughlan moved 100 animals from his Mayo farm to his Roscommon farm last month, and 86 different animals from his Roscommon farm to his Mayo farm.
He also found against Coughlan in relation to another complaint from the department in a November 2025 letter, which read: “You carried out a TB test on the herd, which was completed on 14th/15th November, 2025. This test identified a number of animals bearing temporary identification (brass tags).
“You are required to identify these animals with their permanent identification and provide this department with appropriate declarations by December 10th, 2025.”
Brass tag numbers for six animals were then listed, with the court hearing the matter was resolved in three cases.
But Judge Connolly said the issue wasn’t adequately addressed in other cases by Coughlan, who said one of the animals went to a knackery.
Judge Connolly said he asked Coughlan for a knackery receipt but he was unable to provide one.
Judge Connolly said he believes Coughlan would continue to operate as he sees fit if he remained on bail.
He did not make any finding against Coughlan in relation to other complaints in the department’s November 2025 letter, which related to BVD (bovine viral diarrhea) testing; a large number of discrepancies between his Department of Agriculture herd profile and his submitted TB test report; and inadequate staffing on the farm.