Among the victims at a shameful hunt in County Cavan was a fox who ran for his life during a 20 minute chase and another who tried to escape from the dogs in what was described as a “blistering straight run”.
A report in the Irish Field (16 January 2026), focusing on a Ballymacad Foxhounds hunt, outlined the sickening persecution of foxes which was referred to as “non-stop action” and “a cracking day’s hunting”.
At the start of the hunt near Pallas Mount, a member of the hunt “viewed a fox away” and “the huntsman laid on the pack and the followers had a good pipe opener before he was marked to ground”.
In fox hunting terminology, “marked to ground” 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.
Later, the hunters and hounds targeted another fox - “the pack were away hard on another fox, which they found in the woods”.
As this fox ran for his life, the hunt followers were said to be “spoiled for choice as drains, banks and stone walls come up thick and fast”. This fox was also marked to ground.
Af Dungimmon Bog, a fox was “slow to leave, so after 20 minutes of top-class hunting in cover, he sought safety underground”. The fate of this fox was not revealed.
According to the Irish Field report, “the huntsman and pack were far from finished” and they found another fox to terrorise on the way to the Old Dump - “Hounds had a 20-minute very accurate circular run in strong wind, ending in marking to ground”.
“They found yet again in the Dump and he [a fox] circled and was marked to ground two fields away,” the report continued. “Meanwhile, another fox left on the other side, and hounds were away again. This time, the followers had to negotiate a succession of good hedge jumping, before hounds marked this fellow also.”
A sixth fox was marked to ground at the end of the hunt. This fox was disturbed from a ditch and was seen running from the hounds who “were on song for a blistering straight run”
During the hunting season, the Ballymacad Foxhounds terrorise foxes twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
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 in 2024. The Ballymacad Foxhounds hunt has received €154,650, including €18,800 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/
X: 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
X: 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
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