Foxes were terrorised by a pack of dogs during a hunt in County Westmeath, including one who was chased for over an hour.
A report in the Irish Field (21 Feb 2025) outlined that at a covert at the beginning of the Westmeath Foxhounds hunt, “hounds found immediately” and the first fox targeted “ran in a loop and back to the covert and to ground.”
Later, “hounds were flying in fine voice on another fox, as he was spotted crossing the point-to-point field by Sinead Lowry and Donna Cleary”.
This fox desperately tried to escape the hounds. He ran towards Garty Bog and then “decided to do a circle right-handed all the way back to the find and the same loop again, when the huntsman stopped the pack as cattle were grazing nearby, as they were about to retrace their steps again.”
According to the hunt report, “the best was yet to come”.
The hunters and hounds “jumped onto the road from the point-to-point course into Davy McCormack’s” and were soon terrorising another fox. This fox “headed towards the Water Tower in the direction of Kilbeggan Racecourse into Kieran Daly’s farm for a successful outcome”.
The pack of hounds subsequently chased another fox over Donore Hill before the hunt “crossed Kieran Daly’s and left-handed in the direction of the Water Tower and back again for Castletown Village”.
The hounds “marked just short of the church...after a run of over one hour.”
The fate of this fox was not revealed but in fox hunting terminology, “marked” refers to the point when the pack of hounds chase the fox into an earth or drain. 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.
DID YOU KNOW? Irish taxpayer-funded Horse Racing Ireland has handed out €13,796,550 to hunts since 2014 (in the form of point to point racing grants), including over €1.7 million for 2024. The Westmeath Foxhounds hunt has received €296,300 in that period, including €57,050 for 2024.
SEE ALSO
€1.7 million more in HRI grants to hunts
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/05/07/e1-7-million-more-in-hri-grants-to-hunts/
HRI’s shameful €12 million in funding to cruel fox hunts
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/06/04/hris-shameful-e12-million-in-funding-to-cruel-fox-hunts/
Ruth Coppinger TD calls for a FREE VOTE when Ban Fox Hunting bill returns to Dail
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2025/05/29/ruth-coppinger-td-calls-for-a-free-vote-when-ban-fox-hunting-bill-returns-to-dail/
TAKE ACTION
Help get fox hunting banned in Ireland
Please get in touch with all your local TDs and urge them to support Ruth Coppinger TD’s Animal Health & Welfare (Ban On Fox Hunting) Bill when it returns to Dail Eireann. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/34
Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Sinn Fein and the Labour Party. Tell them that you want fox hunting, hare coursing and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin TD
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Simon Harris TD
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Mary Lou McDonald TD
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Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
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