AN AWARD-winning Wagyu beef farmer based in Newmarket-on-Fergus but from Moymore near Lahinch wept in court as he told a judge that he didn’t have his vehicle taxed as “I am old style, I am not able to go online”.
At Ennis District Court, Gerard O’Doherty (64) broke down as he told Judge Adrian Harris that he wrongly believed that he required a tax clearance certificate to get his vehicle taxed.
In evidence, Garda Ken Butler told the court that he stopped Mr O’Doherty when driving on the N85 at Kielty on the outskirts of Ennis on November 7th last.
Garda Butler said Mr O’Doherty of Crussa, Newmarket on Fergus, had not had his vehicle taxed since April 2025 and was first stopped by Gardaí in May 2025 over having no tax.
Garda Butler said that Mr O’Doherty was stopped on June 29th and October 28th over the no tax issue before he was prosecuted for having no tax on November 7th last.
Garda Butler said, “The tax issue was known by the defendant since May 2025 and he was stopped a number of times and given a chance to rectify the matter”.
Representing himself, Mr O’Doherty told the court that he is an award-winning Wagyu beef farmer and building up the Wagyu beef business with his architect son since 2019 has been “pressure, pressure, pressure for six solid years”.
Mr O’Doherty said that he is from Moymore near Lahinch in North Clare and an aunt twelve years ago gave him a farm in Newmarket-on-Fergus which is the Wagyu beef farm today.
Mr O’Dohery said that they did not slaughter their first Wagyu beef until October 2024.
He said, “I built up the herd. The cattle had to be seen every day. They are a special Japanese breed of cattle. When I met the Guard on the day the car should have been taxed but I am old style, I am not able to go online”.
He said, “I know the system now. I am old fashioned and I can’t work the computer.” He said, “It was more pressure than carelessness. It is nothing else. I was under extreme pressure”.
Mr O’Doherty said that he didn’t know he could walk into the tax office and just tax the vehicle. He said, “I was so taken up with time – that is the real story”.
As Mr O’Doherty explained why the vehicle was not taxed, he broke down and cried briefly and Judge Harris told him to ‘take a moment’.
Mr O’Doherty said, “My son looks after the sales and I am doing the manual work and I could be working 70 or 80 hours a week. Every day of the week”.
He said that Wagyu stock “is very expensive”.
Mr O’Doherty said that the Wagyu beef business is off the ground and three or four weeks ago the business received a number of awards “and we were in the Farming Independent last Tuesday, that is the story”.
Mr O’Doherty said that the vehicle is now taxed and back-taxed.
Garda Butler said that Mr O’Doherty has 16 previous convictions including 14 for road traffic and one for animal cruelty. The animal cruelty conviction dates back a number of years and pre-dates Mr O’Doherty’s Wagyu beef venture.
Judge Harris imposed a fine of €200 and told Mr O’Doherty “best of luck with the business and congratulations on the awards”.
