Legal

Irish Derby workers mowed Curragh lawn during nesting season for fear of ‘bombs in the long grass’

Naas court hears men were acting on instructions from the Curragh Racecourse, the Turf Club and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB)

A retired Garda superintendent told the court that there had been a bomb alert at the race course in 1987. When Judge O’Leary asked whether such matters had receded since the Good Friday Agreement, Walker said that it was “still a consideration”. Picture: Getty

Two men working on behalf of the Irish Derby mowed a stretch of uncultivated grass on the Curragh plains during bird nesting season because of a fear of bombs being planted during the horse racing festival, a court has heard.

Naas District Court heard the evidence on Monday during the case of two men who were being charged with a number of offences under the Wildlife Acts.

The court heard that as part of the ...