BREAKING NEWS: Hare coursing is to be stopped from midnight tonight (Wednesday 21 October 2020), the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has confirmed.
The announcement follows appeals for the cruel bloodsport to be halted in line with the new nationwide COVID19 Level 5 restrictions which clearly state: “No organised outdoor gatherings should take place."
ICABS is calling on Minister Darragh O’Brien, who issued the coursing licences last month, to permanently withdraw them and act to ensure that all captured hares currently in captivity are immediately released back into the countryside where they belong.
Yesterday, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports urged Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to take action to stop coursing from continuing during the Level 5 lockdown and eliminate the public health risk posed by large gatherings of bloodsport enthusiasts.
Brought to the Minister’s attention was a notice on the Irish Coursing Club website, headed “Level 5 restrictions and implications for coursing“ which maintained that, despite the raft of new restrictions being imposed on citizens from midnight, “coursing will continue to operate similar to other sporting organisations and other elite sports".
Laughably, the coursers aligned themselves with “other sporting organisations and other elite sports", despite the fact that hare coursing is in no way sporting or a sport but rather a form of animal cruelty that a majority want outlawed. Regardless, there is no mention of coursing in the list of activities exempted under the Level 5 restrictions https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/
We told Minister Donnelly that the continuation of coursing is in direct conflict with the restrictions which state: "Organised outdoor gatherings - these are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor Arts events, training events. No organised outdoor gatherings should take place."
During Level 3 restrictions, crowds of coursers have shamefully been congregating in coursing fields to watch hares running for their lives. Two people were permitted entry with each greyhound, meaning that around 150 people (not including organisers) were in attendance at each meeting.
For example, at Liscannor coursing meeting in Clare on 10/11 October, over 144 people were permitted to attend. On the first day of the Abbeydorney meet in County Kerry last Friday, 74 greyhounds were listed, meaning as many as 148 people could be in attendance. A long line of vehicles could be seen parked bumper to bumper inside the coursing field.
At Ennis Clarecastle, 52 greyhounds were listed, with up to 104 or more people present. On the first day of the Westmeath United meeting last Saturday, 72 greyhounds were listed, with up to 144 or more people attending.
Despite growing worries about coronavirus and increasing infections and deaths, the coursers were determined not to let the pandemic get in their way. A published coursing fixtures list includes 65 1-, 2- and 3-day meetings around the country between now and the end of February. Several coursing meetings were brought forward to this week in an apparent attempt to get around expected Level 5 restrictions - a notice on the Irish Coursing Club website (which was removed yesterday) had stated that there would be no coursing during Level 5.
In an appeal to Minister Donnelly and the government, ICABS pointed out that coursers coming together for their barbarism would be breaching Level 5 restrictions by not only gathering in large numbers but also by travelling from county to county and exceeding the 5km domestic travel limit.
“In the interests of public safety and doing everything possible to slow the spread of COVID-19, it is imperative that you act to prevent coursing meets from going ahead,” we told Minister Donnelly, Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar.
It is completely reckless to give a free pass to coursers and it is making a mockery of public health guidelines, we stated. It is particularly unforgivable given the fact that a 77% majority of citizens want the bloodsport banned due to the inherent animal cruelty (Source: RED C poll).
Greyhound racing has also been continuing. It has disgracefully been exempted from Level 5 restrictions along with horse racing and Gaelic football, while businesses and services must close down, resulting in hardship for many citizens.
Find out more about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how you can protect yourself and your family at https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/
ACTION ALERT
Contact Minister Darragh O’Brien and demand a permanent withdrawal of the 2020-21 coursing licence and a release of all hares currently in captivity at coursing fields.
Minister Darragh O’Brien (Fianna Fail, Dublin Fingal)
Tel: (01) 618 3802 OR (086) 251 9893
Email: darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie; minister@housing.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DarraghOBrienTD
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DarraghOBrienTD
Contact the Irish Government today and demand a permanent ban on cruel hare coursing.
If you are aware of any coursing taking place in your area, contact the local Gardai and ask them to take action - find contact details at https://www.garda.ie/en/Contact-Us/Station-Directory/
Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
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