The organisers of the "Galway People of the Year Awards" are being urged to drop the Galway Blazers fox hunt from its 2020 awards.
The “Galway Blazers Charity Ride Committee” was recently announced as the winner of a group award. According to a report in the Galway Advertiser, “the award winners will be honoured at a gala banquet and presentation to be held in the Galway Bay Hotel on Saturday March 21, compered by Ollie Turner and broadcast live on Galway Bay FM.”
In an appeal to the awards committee and to Galway Credit Unions, which are supporting the awards, ICABS expressed disbelief that, given the appalling animal cruelty involved in foxhunting, is was deemed appropriate to associate the awards with a hunt.
“As you may be aware, foxhunting involves releasing a pack of hounds to chase down and kill foxes,” we stated. “Foxes caught by the hounds are knocked off their feet, bitten, eviscerated and torn apart. Foxes who attempt to find refuge underground are attacked by hunt terriers, dug out with shovels and brutally killed.”
The animal cruelty associated with the Galway Blazers has been documented. One former member described as "vulgar" what he witnessed, saying "no fox deserves to be killed in such a horrible way".
In our appeal we highlighted a recent video filmed by the Connacht Hunt Saboteurs during a hunt in Galway. In the video, foxhunters “charge at peaceful hunt sabs with horses, hitting with whips, throwing punches, charging a sab through a wall, making death threats”
https://www.facebook.com/ConnachtHuntSabs/posts/2547733428782055
Also brought to the attention of the awards committee was a video which emerged last year which shows members of the Irish Hunt Saboteurs being subjected to vile, sectarian abuse during a Galway Blazers hunt. The sickening video footage posted on the Hunt Saboteurs’ Facebook page in September shows a hunter holding a stick saying: “F*** off, Orange c***s. Orange, Proddie [Protestant] b******s - f*** back to England you c***s.” When the sabs point out that they're Irish and that “there’s no need for racism,” the hunter gives them the finger and replies: “F*** off you Proddie c***”. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2513967525385457
A RED C poll carried out in September confirmed that 77 per cent of Irish citizens want foxhunting made illegal, while just 12 per cent disagree with a ban. We hope Galway People of the Year Awards and the Galway Credit Unions will side with the majority who want foxhunting banned and exclude the Galway Blazers from the awards.
ACTION ALERT
Urge Galway People of the Year Awards and Galway Credit Unions to reject cruel foxhunting and drop the Galway Blazers from its 2020 awards.
Ollie Robinson,
Organiser, Galway People of the Year Awards
Email: ollie2robinson@gmail.com
Irish League of Credit Unions
33-41 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2
Phone: +353 1 614-6700
Email: info@creditunion.ie; info@stjarlathscu.ie
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