James Scully ordered to remove cattle after trespass

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The High Court ordered James Scully to remove his livestock from Thornton Hall on 11 July 2019 and prohibited him from trespassing on the land. The 156 acres in north County Dublin are owned by the Minister for Justice and had been earmarked for a proposed prison. Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds made the orders after Mr Scully told the court he had removed his livestock. He also denied that his animals had damaged neighbouring property.

The Minister’s counsel claimed Mr Scully had grazed livestock on the land without permission. Counsel said Mr Scully had claimed he had permission, but disputed that claim. The judge did not accept that any of the Minister’s agents had given him permission to use the land. She warned that the cost of removing his or anyone else’s animals found wandering on the property would be “very high”.