The Sligo Champion

Firearms offer peace of mind to farmers

- with Deborah Coleman

ANEW FarmLand. ie survey this week found that 72 per cent of Irish farmers would use their gun to defend themselves if faced with an intruder on their property.

While this figure appears very high, I don’t believe it is surprising.

Given what rural dwellers and particular­ly farmers have put up with in recent years, who could blame them for taking a proactive role in protecting their assets and families.

The survey found that of the 40 per cent of Irish farmers who hold a firearm, 72 per cent said they would use it if necessary.

While none of us know for certain just how we would react in the face of such an intrusion on our home or property, it is telling that farmers feel this way, and that they say they would be prepared to fire at an intruder.

I suspect that if the intruder was armed that they would rethink matters, but in order to feel safe, they obviously feel that they need to show they too are armed.

Farmers don’t keep shotguns for fending off intruders so it would be incorrect to say that they are all living in fear. In fact, the same survey revealed an encouragin­g figure of 91 per cent who say they feel safe at home. The problem is that they never know when they might be targeted by thieves, intruders or even conmen masqueradi­ng as tradesmen who are intimidati­ng to say the least.

Having their firearm offers them peace of mind that is just not available to those living in the countrysid­e, miles from any Garda station or perhaps even from a helpful neighbour.

The majority of those farmers surveyed said they would try and fend off the intruder themselves rather than calling the Gardaí.

I don’t know whether this indicates misplaced bravery or lack of trust in the Gardaí but they have the right to protect their property.

Representa­tive groups say it is the latter and that farmers don’t believe the Gardaí are in a position to be able to offer protection as quickly as they might need it.

Times have changed and many farms are now kitted out with state of the art CCTV and security systems which help to protect valuable machinery and even livestock but it is disappoint­ing that these precaution­s have to be taken.

 ??  ?? The majority of farmers surveyed recently said they would try and fend off an intruder themselves rather than calling the Gardaí.
The majority of farmers surveyed recently said they would try and fend off an intruder themselves rather than calling the Gardaí.
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