8 hares hit, 4 pinned at Doon coursing meeting

Petition updateBan Blood Sports in Ireland8 hares hit, 4 pinned at Doon coursing meeting

Irish Council Against Blood SportsMullingar, Ireland

May 2, 2026

8 hares suffered hits and 4 of them were caught and pinned to the ground by dogs at Doon hare coursing meeting, newly released documents reveal.

The documents, published on the website of the National Parks and Wildlife Service – which disgracefully licenses the bloodsport on behalf of Heritage Minister James Browne - show that during the County Limerick animal cruelty event (29th and 30th November 2025), 2 hares were hit and pinned on Day 1. The following day, another 6 hares were hit by dogs and 2 of these hares were pinned.

A veterinary report form shows that the four hares who were pinned were given Metacam painkiller by the coursing club vet. Metacam is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug which is normally used to relieve pain caused by swelling, muscle injuries and joint stiffness.

The vet - whose name has been redacted - shamefully certified the hares “fit to course”.

The hares who were hit and pinned were among 47 captured from the wild between 25 October and 18 November and held in captivity.

Shame on the vet who certified the hares "fit to course". And shame on the Irish Government for allowing cruel hare coursing to continue despite majority support for a ban.

ACTION ALERT

Contact the Veterinary Council of Ireland and demand an end to veterinary involvement in cruel hare coursing.

Niamh Muldoon, CEO

Veterinary Council of Ireland

53 Lansdowne Road

Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, D04 NY29

Tel: +353 (0) 1 668 4402

Email: niamh.muldoon@vci.ie

HELP THE HARES: Tell Heritage Minister James Browne and Minister of State for Nature Christopher O’Sullivan to give full protection to the Irish Hare and stop licensing hare coursing.

Minister James Browne (Fianna Fail, Wexford)

Tel: (01) 618 3094

Email: minister@housing.gov.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/james.browne.enniscorthy

X: https://x.com/jamesbrownetd

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamesbrownetd/?hl=en

Christopher O’Sullivan TD (Fianna Fail, Cork South West)

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity

Tel: (01) 618 3095 or 023 88 11011

Email: christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christopher.osullivan.716

X: https://twitter.com/COSullivanTD

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher_o_sullivan_td

Urge Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon to remove exemptions for hare coursing and fox hunting from the Animal Health and Welfare Act.

Martin Heydon TD

Minister for Agriculture

Tel: 01-618 3017

Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie; martin.heydon@oireachtas.ie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/martinheydonfg

X: http://www.twitter.com/martinheydonfg

Please get in touch with all your local TDs and urge them to pledge support for a long overdue ban on cruel hare coursing 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 hare coursing, fox hunting 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