"Hare coursing should be uprooted completely from rural Ireland and banished forever from our countryside. For the Greens to accord it parliamentary approval would be on a par with them voting in favour of Climate Change or the Hole in the Ozone Layer": Read John Fitzgerald's Letter in this week's Avondhu...
The Greens and hare coursing
Letter to the Editor, The Avondhu: April 21st 2022
Dear Editor.
I see that the Greens in government are sticking to their guns in seeking a ban on the sale and distribution of turf from September, despite claims from the backwoods wing of Irish politics that the move will drive a stake through the heart of rural Ireland.
Their consistency on this issue is commendable. Our peat lands are ecological treasures beyond price, helping to prevent flooding by absorbing water and protecting human health by storing enormous amounts of deadly carbon dioxide.
Unfortunately the Greens are not being similarly brave or consistent on another ecological issue: the plight of our persecuted Irish Hare. This mammal is a sub-species of the Mountain Hare that is unique to Ireland. One of our few truly native species, it has been on this island since at least the last Ice Age of 10,000 years and for possibly around 60,000 years before that.
Despite its “protected” status an exemption allows coursing clubs to capture thousands of these animals each year- not for pest control or scientific research, but so that gangs of so-called sportspeople can set dogs on them. They are terrorized, and in some cases mauled or have their bone crushed as gamblers cheer on the participating greyhounds.
The Irish Hare is also under threat from loss of habitat resulting from urbanization and the downside of modern agriculture. Further pressure from widespread netting, and disruption of habitats by gangs beating the ground around them with sticks, doesn’t help its conservation status.
A Bill to ban hare coursing will appear before the Dail in the coming months, and you’d expect that Green Party support for such a measure would be a given. After all it’s official party policy to seek a ban on the practice. But because the party is in government with parties that condone hare coursing it looks set to vote against the Bill.
That would make history. It would be the first time a Green Party anywhere in the world had supported hare coursing.
Whatever about a turf cutting ban discommoding country dwellers, hare coursing should be uprooted completely from rural Ireland and banished forever from our countryside.
Opposition to it has been a core principle of the Irish Green Party. For the Greens to accord it parliamentary approval would be on a par with them voting in favour of Climate Change or the Hole in the Ozone Layer.
Who would have thought that coursing clubs would have greater political clout than turf cutters?
And a what a strange “green” environment we’d have: Where cutting turf was illegal but one of the world’s most barbaric blood sports was allowed…and with the ringing endorsement of a party that for more than three decades was committed to its abolition.
John Fitzgerald,
Callan, Co Kilkenny
ACTION ALERT
Urge the Green Party to respect the wishes of the 77% majority who want coursing banned and pledge support for Paul Murphy TD’s upcoming bill which aims to outlaw the cruel bloodsport. The bill is expected back before the Dail in the coming months
Contact Green Party TDs NOW
Email addresses for all 12 Green Party TDs:
Eamon.Ryan@greenparty.ie; catherine.martin@oireachtas.ie; patrick.costello@oireachtas.ie; francisnoel.duffy@oireachtas.ie; neasa.hourigan@oireachtas.ie; brian.leddin@oireachtas.ie; steven.matthews@oireachtas.ie; malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie; joe.obrien@oireachtas.ie; marc.ocathasaigh@oireachtas.ie; roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie
ossian.smyth@greenparty.ie
Eamon Ryan TD (Dublin Bay South)
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Catherine Martin TD (Dublin Rathdown)
Green Party Deputy Leader and Minister for Culture and Heritage
Tel: (01) 618 3018
Email: catherine.martin@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Catherinemartingreen/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/cathmartingreen
Malcolm Noonan TD (Carlow Kilkenny)
Heritage Minister
Tel: (01) 6183148
Email: malcolm.noonan@oireachtas.ie; mos@housing.gov.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/votemalcolmnoonan1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/noonan_malcolm
Neasa Hourigan TD (Dublin Central)
Tel: (01) 618 3172
Email: neasa.hourigan@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @neasa_neasa
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neasahourigangreen/
Joe O’Brien TD (Dublin Fingal)
Tel: 01 618 4114
Email: joe.obrien@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @joefingalgreen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joefingalgreen/
Patrick Costello TD (Dublin South Central)
Tel: (01) 618 3566
Email: patrick.costello@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @Costellop
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patrickcostellogreenparty
Francis Noel Duffy TD (Dublin South West)
Tel: (01) 618 4236
Email: francisnoel.duffy@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @FNDuffy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FrancisNoelDuffy/
Roderic O’Gorman TD (Dublin West)
Tel: (01) 618 3222
Email: roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @rodericogorman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RodericOG/
Ossian Smyth TD (Dún Laoghaire)
Tel: (01) 618 3362
Email: ossian.smyth@greenparty.ie
Twitter: @smytho
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smythossian/
Brian Leddin TD (Limerick City)
Tel: (01) 618 3205
Email: brian.leddin@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @BrianLeddin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Leddin4Limerick/
Marc O’Cathasaigh TD (Waterford)
Tel: (01) 618 3223
Email: marc.ocathasaigh@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @MarcKC_Green
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocathasaighmarc
Steven Matthews TD (Wicklow)
Tel: (01) 6183513
Email: steven.matthews@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: @stevensgreen1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stevenmatthewsgreenparty/