Foxes were terrorised by a pack of 33 dogs during a hunt near the Limerick/Tipperary border.
A report in the Irish Field (23 December 2025), focusing on a Scarteen Black and Tans hunt, outlined that during the hunt which started from Lattin, “hounds hunted on across the Glenbane road into Ryan’s” and they “hunted on parallel to the railway line towards Shronell”. They “were lucky to mark Reynard [the fox] to ground near the railway”. According to the report, “he was given best and hounds pressed on with their draw in Sean Dunne’s just off the Wash Boreen”.
There, another fox was disturbed and the “hounds were away”. The pack of dogs was “absolutely flying” as the unfortunate fox desperately ran for his life.
A horse ended up lame during the hunt - “jumping a monumental bank out of Carroll’s, our huntsman’s horse over-jumped and pulled up lame”.
The hunt continued, with the fox running “right into the screen at Mooresfort” - “here, Reynard found a welcoming shore and with hounds marking he was left.”
Later, the hunters and hounds found another fox to persecute - “hounds spoke almost immediately and a smashing dash ensued”.
During the hunting season, the Scarteen Black and Tans hunt terrorises foxes twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Earlier this year, a sickening 3-page article in British magazine “Horse and Hound” (27 February 2025) told of how a fox who ran for his life, with a pack of hounds “only yards behind”, was caught and killed during a Scarteen hunt in Limerick. The hunt dogs were in a “dark belt of pine trees” and the unfortunate fox was seen “running along the edge of a field [with] the pack only yards behind in the fullest of full cry”. https://www.magzter.com/stories/animals-pets/Horse-Hound/NOAHS-HOUNDS
The pack “swiftly accounted for him” [killed him] in a briary ditch. The terrorisation of this fox was described as “a brief but exciting scurry”.
Among the masters of the Scarteen Black and Tans hunt are Bill Hanly - “one of the major players in Limerick’s property market” and two UK-based individuals - Roger Dungworth (Lincolnshire, UK) and Shane Breen (Hickstead, UK). Shane Breen has been a brand ambassador for horse feed company Connolly’s Red Mills. A page on its website states: “Shane got his first pony at the age of five and hunted throughout his childhood. He believes this hunting background has placed him in good stead...” https://www.redmillshorse.com/en-us/red-mills-ambassadors/shane-breen/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NiiV4sTsOY
Shame on the Irish Government for allowing this bloodsport to continue. The latest Ireland Thinks opinion poll (conducted in November 2025) shows that 87% are opposed to the hunting of animals for sport. 81% of respondents to the poll who expressed an opinion, agree that fox hunting as a sport should be banned in Ireland. The poll found that just 13% of people in Ireland are in favour of hunting animals for sport, including a mere 3% "strongly in favour".
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 Scarteen Foxhounds hunt has received €128,750, including €17,850 in 2024.
ACTION ALERT
Help get fox hunting banned in Ireland
Please get in touch with all your local TDs and urge them to pledge support for a ban on cruel fox hunting in Ireland. 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 and Sinn Fein. Tell them that you want fox hunting, hare coursing and all bloodsports banned.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
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
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
Sign and share Uplift’s “Ban Fox Hunting” petition
https://my.uplift.ie/petitions/petition-to-ban-fox-hunting-in-ireland
Watch our campaign video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXtb77WD6yI
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports
http://revolut.me/icabs