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Foxes were terrorised by a pack of 35 dogs during a shameful in Limerick.
A report in the Irish Field (7 December 2024) highlighted how foxes were forced to run for their lives during the County Limerick Foxhounds hunt which started from Cartown House.
“It wasn’t long before [hounds] had a fine west Limerick dog fox afoot,” the report stated. “Reynard set his mark for the ruined castle of Dromore which dominates the skyline, looking down on the Shannon Estuary, with Shannon Airport distinctly visible on the Clare side of the tide. With hounds working hard and music to match, they pressed on towards the main road, but our pilot [the fox] knew where he was going as he found a welcoming shore and was given best.”
Later, another fox was targeted by the hunters: “Hounds drew on along the estuary and soon found [a fox] and ran towards Ringmoylan Pier, before swinging inland across Ballydoole and crossing back to the Cartown side of the road, where they met the best jumping of the day.”
The fate of this fox was not revealed.
County Limerick Foxhounds is affiliated to the Irish Masters of Foxhounds Association. One of its four hunt masters is Fethard vet John Halley MRCVS.
Earlier this year, an article in British magazine “Horse and Hound” (11 January 2024) highlighted the plight of foxes during a “fast and furious” Limerick Foxhounds hunt. One of the foxes was killed in woodland, with the report outlining how two red-coated hunters on horseback were “pulled up in the eaves of a dark wood, where the wonderful Limerick hounds finally accounted for their fox”. Another fox was chased and killed – “after a lively little scurry, hounds accounted for their fox in a brambly ditch”.
Soon after that, the pack of hounds “screamed through Cooneys’ farm” in pursuit of a fox who was seen running for his life. The hunters followed the dogs across the fields until “they finally marked their fox to ground in a ditch”. In fox hunting terminology, “marked to ground” refers to the point when the pack of hounds chase the fox into an earth or drain and this is typically followed by the arrival of the hunt’s terriermen who cruelly catch the fox using shovels, spades and terriers before the doomed animal is pulled out and brutally killed.
One of those shamefully participating in that hunt – National Hunt horse trainer John Gleeson – was quoted as saying “when they get on a fox, they’re the best hounds in the world!”
Shame on the Irish Government for allowing this bloodsport to continue in 2024. A RED C opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, shows that a 77% majority (in both urban and rural areas) agree that the government should ban fox hunting. The poll found that just 12 per cent disagree with a ban.
SEE ALSO:
A veterinary surgeon is a JOINT-MASTER OF A FOXHUNT in Limerick
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2078811485567732
Foxes terrorised ‘almost non-stop’ during 5 hour hunt in Limerick
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/12/14/foxes-terrorised-almost-non-stop-during-5-hour-hunt-in-limerick/
ACTION ALERT
Urge the Veterinary Council of Ireland to act to stop veterinary involvement in fox hunting and hare coursing.
Niamh Muldoon
CEO, Veterinary Council of Ireland
53 Lansdowne Road
Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Tel: +353 (0) 1 668 4402
Email: niamh.muldoon@vci.ie
Join us in urging political party leaders to back a ban on fox hunting in Ireland.
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
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
Roderic O’Gorman TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: (01) 6642052
Email: roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RodericOG/
X: https://x.com/rodericogorman
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
Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/
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
Witness the cruelty of foxhunting at
http://www.banbloodsports.com/videos.htm
https://youtu.be/cbLKs9pgQno
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports
#Ireland #FoxOfTheDay #BanFoxHunting