A farmer who was attacked by a group of people on his farm in north Co Dublin has said a number of farmers in the area are having problems with people with dogs coming onto their land hunting hares.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, Patrick Walsh said he was left unconscious after confronting a number of men who had been on his land with dogs on Sunday at around 8.30pm.
He was taken to St James's Hospital and treated for his injuries.
Mr Walsh said the problem had become more frequent in recent years and he feared for older farmers.
Irish Farmers' Association Deputy President Richard Kennedy has described the "unprovoked and violent attack" as disgraceful and very worrying.
He said that the victim could have been seriously injured or killed.
In a statement, Mr Kennedy pointed out that hunting of hares is illegal under the Wildlife Act.
He said gangs with their dogs are trespassing on farmlands across the country and when approached by farmers and land owners are met with hostility and in some cases violence.
Mr Kennedy said "this is the third such serious attack in the past year in north Dublin".
He said that last August a farmer in St Margaret’s discovered men illegally dumping on his land went to phone gardaí, but was run over by the van as they struck the gate.
He was discovered by a neighbour and spent a period of time in hospital with two broken legs and a broken collar bone, the IFA statement said.
In the third case, some months later in the same area another farmer approached men with dogs on his land and he was also assaulted and threatened at knifepoint.
The IFA is calling for greater garda presence in north Co Dublin and across all rural communities.
Mr Kennedy said that ‘Lurching’, or hare coursing, must be targeted by gardaí in a unified approach.
He said that when gardaí successfully prosecute these cases, the courts must be seen to make it a deterrent for others.
Gardaí are investigating the alleged assault on Mr Walsh. No arrests have been made so far.
