Married huntsman, in his 40s, is killed by STAG

Married huntsman, in his 40s, is killed by STAG after the animal attacked him while he was feeding it at kennels in Ireland

  •  Father-of-three Ger Withers was fatally attacked and trampled by the animal
  • He had been feeding it at the Duhallow hunt kennels in Liscarroll, north Cork
  • The alarm was raised after Mr Withers failed to return home from the farm

A married huntsman has been killed by a stag after the animal attacked him while he was feeding it at kennels in Ireland. 

Father-of-three Ger Withers was attacked and trampled by the animal while feeding it at the Duhallow hunt kennels in Liscarroll, north Cork on December 29. 

He had left his home in ­Rossinarney, Liscarroll, to attend to the animals on the small farm, where the stag was kept in a ­separate paddock from the hound kennels.

The alarm was raised after Mr Withers failed to return home from the farm and his wife Maria contacted a friend who went to check on him. 

Father-of-three Ger Withers was fatally attacked and trampled by the animal while feeding it at the Duhallow hunt kennels in Liscarroll, north Cork on December 29 

His friend found Mr Withers unresponsive on the ground and emergency services were called. 

He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

The huntsman’s body was taken to Cork University Hospital Morgue where a post-mortem examination was carried out.

 Police say they are treating the incident as a tragic accident. 

His friend Catherine Power paid tribute to him as a ‘wonderful, warm, man, a great huntsman.’ 

‘We are all just devastated, he was such a fantastic man, very well known and admired in the hunting community, he’s left a young wife and his children behind him, it is such a shock for everyone who knew him and the family,’ she said.  

Mr Withers was a seasoned huntsman who had hunted with Duhallow Foxhounds for 14 seasons.

His friend Dickie Power said: ‘Born and bred near Liscarroll, he knew every blade of grass in the barony of Duhallow, who owned it, and more importantly how warm a welcome the hunt could expect.’ 

He leaves behind his wife Maria, twin daughters aged seven and a son aged three.