The story of the Mayo cow with a wooden leg

by Auld Stock

HOW often have we heard the expression ‘hardly a leg to stand on’?

What about the cow that had only one leg to stand on?

The animal was owned by a man named Walsh, a small farmer who lived a few miles outside Castlebar.

The story was recorded in The Connaught Telegraph in the early years of the last century and was written by a man named Michael Mulhern who lived in Spencer Street, Castlebar.

The owner of the one-legged animal, who must have been an accomplished cow doctor, manufactured an artificial wooden leg and attached it to the cow. It fitted the animal perfectly.

The cow was sold at the monthly fair in Castlebar and made a good price.

There were very few vets in rural Ireland at the time and farmers had to treat their animals in the best way known to them.

There were farmers in most villages who could look after sick animals. They never charged for their service and were held in high esteem by their neighbours.

Michael Mulhern, the journalist mentioned above, reported court cases in a personalised fashion and regularly described the magistrates at the time in a very harsh manner.

He told his readers one magistrate, with the name Bingham, was suffering from a hangover, the result of a night of drinking and debauchery.

If such a remark was made in today’s courts, as sure as there is an eye in a needle, the newspaper which published the report would be closed overnight.

Libel laws nowadays are extremely restrictive.

Several newspapers have ceased publishing because of the huge costs imposed by libel actions brought against them.

The real losers in such cases is local democracy.

The public have a right to be protected.

However, since the time of Michael Mulhern, libel laws have become far too restrictive in this country.

Sin scéal eile.