"You'd think that an allegedly liberal and humane Taoiseach who proposes to eat less meat as a gesture towards environmental friendliness would not for an instant tolerate the obscenity of live hare coursing" - Read John Fitzgerald's letter to the editor in today's Irish Examiner...
No hares for courses
Irish Examiner, 16 January 2019
The Taoiseach will eat less meat, he says. How wonderful for the animals! But his government permits one of the vilest animal cruelty practices on the planet and has consistently opposed attempts to ban it.
I refer to live hare coursing, a traditional rural pastime" that the Fine Gael party cherishes and deems an appropriate form of outdoor recreation for 21st century Ireland. The party closed ranks against Maureen O' Sullivan TD when she moved a Dail Bill to end this medieval practice in 2016.
Right now, hundreds of hares are being held captive on a racecourse outside Clonmel, County Tipperary. They were transported there from all over Ireland, having been snatched by trappers from their natural habitats. The trappers used nets to capture these animals for the annual three-day "festival" of live hare coursing due to be staged next month at Powerstown Park.
Each hare will be coursed...possibly up to three times, meaning that if it doesn't get injured or horribly mauled first time around disaster may strike during the second or third course: A twisted Russian roulette caper to which coursing clubs subject these timid, defenseless animals.
Even if a hare manages to avoid injury after three courses the animal may die in the wild afterwards of stress-related ailments. And all of this is staged for the amusement of human beings who derive pleasure from watching trapped hares running for their lives.
Fine Gael TDs either express open support for this squalid excuse for a sport or maintain a stony silence on it. But you'd think that an allegedly liberal and humane Taoiseach who proposes to eat less meat as a gesture towards environmental friendliness would not for an instant tolerate the obscenity of live hare coursing.
John Fitzgerald,
Callan, Co. Kilkenny
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ICABS ACTION ALERT
With warnings from wildlife experts that the Irish Hare is in trouble, it is now more clear than ever that the species must be given FULL PROTECTION - no hare coursing, no hare hunting, no hare shooting. Urgently contact Minister Josepha Madigan and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and demand that they revoke the 2018-19 hare coursing licence and end all forms of hare persecution.
Minister Josepha Madigan
Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht
Phone: +353 (0)1 631 3800
Email: josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie, ministers.office@ahg.gov.ie, wildlifelicence@ahg.gov.ie, john.fitzgerald@ahg.gov.ie, Gerry.Leckey@ahg.gov.ie, nature.conservation@ahg.gov.ie
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Tweet to: @josephamadigan
John Fitzgerald
Director, National Parks and Wildlife Service
Phone: +353 (0)1 888 3242
Email: john.fitzgerald@ahg.gov.ie
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below)
Dear Minister Madigan,
I am one of the majority who want hare coursing outlawed. I am writing to demand that you revoke the 2018-19 hare netting licence that has shamefully been issued.
In coursing, hares suffer and die at all stages - during the capture, during the time they are kept in captivity and during the coursing meetings where they run for their lives in front of greyhounds. Among the injuries recorded are broken legs, damaged toes and dislocated hips.
I ask you to please act on the wishes of the majority, show compassion and end this cruelty.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]
The Irish Hare is a protected species but an exemption for coursing in the Animal Health and Welfare Act means coursers are not liable for prosecution for their cruelty. Join us in our call to the government to remove the exemption and provide full and permanent protection to this cherished species.
Contact An Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar and ask him to ban hare coursing and give permanent protection to hares.
An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: +353 (0)1-6194020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie
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Please contact all your local politicians and ask them to push for a ban on this blood sport. Encourage your friends, family and workmates to contact them too. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=32&disp=mem Write to your TDs at: Dail Eireann, Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-618 3000 or 1890 337 889. Please also arrange a meeting with your TDs at their local clinics.