“It had been killed overnight [on Wednesday] by intruders who had broken into the park. The discovery was made when staff went to feed the herd of Irish Red Deer,” Fingal County Council said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The stag, who was eight years old, was one of two in the herd.<\/p>\n
The killing of the stag is also under investigation by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.<\/p>\n
‘He was a big favourite with the public’<\/h2>\n
The Mayor of Fingal, councillor Tom O’Leary, condemned the killing.<\/p>\n
He said: “I have visited this park area with my granddaughters who really enjoyed meeting the stag and deer. A wonderful animal to behold close up.<\/p>\n
“It’s truly shocking that someone would carry out this act,” he said.<\/p>\n
“I am appealing to anybody with information to contact the garda\u00ed or the National Parks and Wildlife Service. It is illegal to kill deer without a licence and I hope that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.”<\/p>\n
Ivan Smith, foreman of Works at Newbridge House and Traditional Farm, said the team was “absolutely shocked” by the incident.<\/p>\n
“He was a lovely stag with a beautiful pair of antlers and was a big favourite with the public who walk through the park.”<\/p>\n
‘Unnecessary killing’<\/h2>\n
Ireland’s National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) have expressed “horror” at the attack.<\/p>\n
“The unnecessary killing of such a majestic creature for, what appears to be, a trophy is appalling,” Pat Watt of the NSPCA said.<\/p>\n
“It is the NSPCA’s hopes that the perpetrator\/s will be caught and prosecuted with the full force of the legal system relating to this type of crime. Animal abuse is not acceptable in any situations.”<\/p>\n
‘Disgusted and appalled’<\/h2>\n
Councillor for the area Eoghan Dockrell told BBC News NI that he was “in shock”.<\/p>\n
“The one common response to anyone I’ve spoken to in the community is they’re disgusted and appalled,” he said.<\/p>\n
He added that he has “an awful lot of sympathy for the staff members who would have had to come upon that scene and how distressing that must have been”.<\/p>\n
“I have been in touch with council officials to see if they’d review security procedures in the park and while a lot of patrols are being carried out during the day, we’re going to see if we can increase patrols at night time,” he said.<\/p>\n
Anyone who has any information should report it to National Parks and Wildlife Service, Fingal County Council or their local Garda Station.<\/p>\n
Garda\u00ed (Irish police) also said they wish to speak with anyone who has footage, including dashcam, from between 00:00 and 02:30 local time on Thursday on the R126 road, Cobbe’s Lane and Turvey Avenue, around Newbridge Demense, to make it available.<\/p>\n