Ten cattle were killed in a lightning strike on a farm in Co Cavan yesterday.
The incident occurred in the Butlersbridge area at around 8pm.
Met Éireann had issued a Status Yellow thunderstorm warning for the county, which was valid until 6pm yesterday evening.
The ten suckler-bred heifers, owned by a farmer from the area, are understood to have taken shelter from the heavy rain under a tree in the middle of the field.
A bolt of lightning then struck the earth, killing them instantly.
Fianna Fáil TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Brendan Smith, who lives in the area, said the lightning strike was a "frightening incident" and also a terrible loss for the farmer.
"It had to be an awful shock to discover that number of livestock dead," Mr Smith said.
He added: "I know that the loss of livestock through disease or more so in such a rare incident [like this] takes a serious emotional toll on any farmer and family apart from the financial loss.
"Farmers work very hard in rearing and tending to their livestock in a very diligent and caring manner. We should always be conscious that farmers in breeding and rearing cattle just do not shut on and off production.
"My thoughts are very much with the farmer in this huge loss to his farm holding," Mr Smith said.
