ICABS has renewed an appeal to the Veterinary Council of Ireland to stop vets from participating in foxhunting.
According to a hunting report in the Irish Field this month, among those taking part in a recent Laois Foxhounds hunt was "Grainne Kavanagh who practises as a veterinary surgeon in Rathdowney".
The hunt report detailed how a pack of hounds was released to chase foxes during the hunt which started from Clogh in North Kilkenny.
The dogs "crossed the road and found [a fox] in some forestry almost immediately" and they "hunted on with the field [of riders] popping some steel forestry barriers at speed and hounds giving fantastic music". The hounds "hunted up and down the almost endless plantations near Crutt" and later they found another fox and "hunted on through Michael and Marion Condren’s extensive farm".
The report went on to say that the "hounds hunted really well and the field were treated to some smashing bank jumping" and that the huntsman "blew for home" when the hounds marked. In hunting terminology, marking refers to the pack of hounds catching up with the fox and baying loudly at the entrance to an earth or drain where the cowering creature is trying to find refuge. Sadly, this often translates as death for unfortunate foxes if they are flushed out with terriers or dug out by hunt terriermen.
During the Laois hunt, the hounds continued on towards "Paddy Hennessey’s farm where a warm welcome is assured as he is brother to hunting padre, Fr Willie Hennessey". Fr Hennessey is, according to the Irish Field, "a regular with the Laois [hunt] though missing on the day as he was on ecclesiastical duty."
The hunt report revealed that others present at the hunt included:
- Emily, the wife of huntsman Dermot Hannify, who "works as a pediatric nurse in Portlaoise"
- Marcus McLoughlin "who owns and runs a supermarket in Portarlington"
- Hunt secretary Frances McEvoy - "she works as a hairdresser in one of Portlaoise’s smarter saloons"
- Mounted games rider Mark Deviit who was "out on his bay getting him fit for their upcoming trip to Gothenberg for the international mounted games."
- "The hospitality industry was well represented with Seosamh Murphy of the Castle Arms Durrow and Alex and April Kent of the nearby Abbeyleix Manor Hotel all mounted and going well". Both hotels, it noted, "regularly host meets of the hunt"
Foxhunting is completely unacceptable in modern Ireland and a majority want it stopped. A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, has found that a massive 77% agree that the Irish Government should BAN FOXHUNTING. The opinion poll, carried out in September, found that just 12% disagree with a ban. Please respond to our action alert below and join calls for a long overdue ban on foxhunting.
ACTION ALERT
Urge the Veterinary Council of Ireland to act to stop veterinary involvement in foxhunting and hare coursing.
Veterinary Council of Ireland
53 Lansdowne Road
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Tel: +353 (0) 1 668 4402
Email: info@vci.ie
Boycott the Castle Arms Durrow and Abbeyleix Manor Hotel and all businesses connected to foxhunting or hare coursing.
Please join us in telling the Irish Government that it is now time to ban foxhunting. Contact all your local TDs and urge them to push for a ban on this bloodsport. Visit the Oireachtas website for names of TDs and their email addresses http://www.oireachtas.ie/members-hist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=33&disp=mem
Contact the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and the Green Party to tell them that you want fox hunting, and all bloodsports, banned.
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion St, Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Constituency Office
137 Evergreen Road,
Turner’s Cross, Cork
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Leave a comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Eamon Ryan
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Keep hunters off your land
If you are a landowner, make your land off-limits to hunters. Find out more about how to do this on our Farmers/Landowners Page - http://www.banbloodsports.com/farmers.htm Encourage all land-owning friends and family members in the countryside to show compassion and make their land a haven for wildlife.Witness the cruelty of foxhunting and find out more about the “Ban Foxhunting” campaign at
http://www.banbloodsports.com/camp-fh.htm
SEE ALSO
A RED C poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, has revealed that a massive 77% agree that the government should BAN FOXHUNTING. The opinion poll, carried out in September, found that just 12% disagree with a ban, while 11% said they don't know. Of those stating an opinion, 87% of these agree that the Irish Government should ban foxhunting while 13% disagree with this. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2622019234580285
A veterinary surgeon and an “eagle-eyed” optician were among those at a recent foxhunt in Cork, the Irish Field has revealed. A report on a South Union Foxhounds hunt in December described how 25 hounds were released to chase foxes in the area. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2636851673097041
A veterinary surgeon is a JOINT-MASTER OF A FOXHUNT in Limerick, the Irish Field has this month revealed. According to the 1st February report, entitled "Hunting: The great and the good", John Halley MRCVS is a joint-master of the County Limerick Foxhounds
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2078811485567732
The Veterinary Council of Ireland has said that it "would not take issue with" a vet who is sponsoring greyhound racing at one of the country's worst tracks for dog injuries. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/1540104319438454
we can reveal another two vets who are involved in fox hunting. The Irish Field is reporting this week that at a recent meet of the Tipperary Foxhounds, “The Hyde family were represented by John Hyde MRCVS (Tim’s cousin) from Glanmire who has already featured prominently in these columns. Veterinary runs in the family, young Tim [Hyde] is also a veterinary surgeon…” At the hunt in question, foxes ran for their lives across the Tipperary countryside from a pack of 25 hounds. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2081981305250750
Two vets had a greyhound running at the Clonmel hare coursing finals, it has emerged. According to a Nationalist newspaper report published ahead of the 3-day coursing event in February, "husband and wife Katriona Bourke and Frank Mockler, both of whom are vets in Knockavilla, Dundrum [Tipperary], will be represented by their dog Fraggle Rock". https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/1648047158644169
Veterinary Council refuses to restrict vet involvement in bloodsports Last month, we highlighted a hunting report which revealed that a veterinary surgeon was among those participating in a foxhunt in County Clare earlier this year. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/photos/a.463548137094083/774631775985716/