A Meath foxhunt hunted through "the new farm of international and Olympic show jumping rider Cian O’Connor" earlier this year, it has emerged.
A report in the Irish Field reveals that the shameful Meath Foxhounds hunt, which saw several foxes being terrorised over the course of the day, took in show jumper's O'Connor's land.
The January hunt started from The Hatchet Inn near Summerhill and, according to the hunt report, the pack of hounds "found straight away and the fox ran back through a number of small farms, with some of the best ditch jumping".
The hounds "screamed" as they chased the unfortunate fox across farms and a road before he "went to ground"
The hunters proceeded to search for more foxes to pursue and soon "found a customer in the ditches" who provided them with "some really challenging hunting".
"No sooner were they hunting one fox when another popped up – they were everywhere," the report stated. "Eventually they marked one to ground."
In hunting terminology, “marked” 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. Surrounded by the hunters and hounds, this is a desperate situation for the fox. It often means death - foxes are typically flushed out with terriers or dug out by hunt terriermen before being killed.
The Irish Field report went on to outline how "the next draw was in the new farm of international and Olympic show jumping rider Cian O’Connor", noting that as a teenager, O'Connor hunted with the Louth Foxhounds and the Fingal Harriers hunts.
He has also participated in the Ward Union carted deer hunt. As previously reported by the Irish Independent, "As a youngster, Cian had learnt the rudiments of riding from hunting the very challenging Ward Union Meath country with his father, businessman Taig O'Connor."
During the Meath Foxhounds hunt in January, the "hounds were hunting on through O’Connor’s farm, then Martin O’Toole’s, McCann’s, and over Bruton’s extensive farm where they marked in a ditch. They found [another fox] in Dr Cunningham’s near Godolphin’s Woodpark Stud, running him to ground too."
Later, two more foxes were chased - one was "marked to ground" and the hunters gave the second fox "a serious day’s exercise".
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 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
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, Labour Party and the Green Party to tell them that you want fox hunting, and all bloodsports, banned.
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
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Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Leave a comment on Facebook:
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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
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
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.
Sign and share our "Ban Blood Sports in Ireland" petition
https://www.change.org/petitions/ban-blood-sports-in-ireland
Witness foxhunting cruelty 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