It is with regret, that the Arklow Seabreeze Festival Committee will not end the pig race. My disbelief in their absolute ignorance is heartbreaking. I urge everyone of you to post on their Facebook page now, tell them how much you think this race is cruel, out dated and anything else you can think of. An otherwise brilliant festival, except for this one event. I'm actually at a loss for words, which is rare! Again I thank you good kind hearted people for signing this petition, and I can assure you I will lobby this pig race, until it's pulled, even if it takes years. I remember this event was physically protested about 30 years ago, it had TV coverage and everything and it seems small mindedness is still is alive in the 21st century. This is a copy of the email I was sent tonight....... July 15, 2015 The Arklow Seabreeze Festival Pig Derby has been running for many years now and has proved to be one of the most popular events of the entire Festival annually. It is a series of short ‘races’, five in total, where the pigs are brought in under the supervision and care of the farmer who reared the pigs. The welfare of the pigs is of the utmost concern and importance to us, and we feel that this will hold up under rigorous scrutiny. We take a very proactive approach to this ensuring that the animals have plenty of food and water, a pig handler is also present to ensure no harm or cruelty is inflicted on any of his pigs. On very sunny and warm days we have even applied sun tan cream on the pigs to ensure they do not get sun stroke as their skin is very sensitive, as I am sure do all the other festival pig race organisers around the country including: Watergrasshill, Co. Cork, Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, Belmullet, Co. Sligo, Portlaoise, Co. Laois, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, Killaloe, Co. Clare, Abbeyfeale, Co. Limerick and Cahir, Co. Tipperary, to name but a few. Arklow Seabreeze Festival Committee would like to take this opportunity to thank the public for the overwhelming support we have received this week for the Pig Race and indeed the Festival as a whole. Arklow Seabreeze Festival Committee Further information available on the pig race and indeed all Arklow Seabreeze Festival events and activities, www.arklowseabreezefestival.ie