Foxes were terrorised by a pack of 35 dogs during a hunt at the Hill of Skryne in County Meath.
A report in the Irish Field (9 January 2026), focusing on a Meath Foxhounds hunt, outlined that “the huntsman drew multiple coverts” before the pack of hounds “found [a fox] near Rathfeigh Church”.
The “real dark fox “ was chased “the length of Rathfeigh Valley” and was seen running for his life from the hunters and hounds.
“More of the pack joined in and we could see that [the fox] circled right away from the road,” the Irish Field report stated. “He must have changed his mind as he turned left-handed and crossed the Rathfeigh Road and in a line towards The Snail Box Bar and Restaurant - a popular venue for hunt and racing followers in the area. Then he turned left-handed and in a line towards the Ashbourne Road.”
The pack of dogs was “hunting hard” before, according to the report, the huntsman blew the horn “to stop them and the pack momentarily lifted their heads and checked”.
The fate of the fox was not revealed but the report stated that the huntsman was “drawing on all his experience and his hunting skills, persevering when conditions were difficult, trusting his hounds and getting a successful result”.
During the hunting season, the Meath Foxhounds terrorise foxes twice a week.
Shame on the Irish Government for allowing this bloodsport to continue. The latest opinion poll - the NSPCA-commissioned Bounce Insights National Survey 2026 - shows that 82% support a ban on fox hunting for sport.
DID YOU KNOW? Irish taxpayer-funded Horse Racing Ireland has handed out €15,585,000 to hunts since 2014 (in the form of point-to-point racing grants), including over €1.78 million in 2025. In that period the Meath Foxhounds and the Tara Harriers hunt received €293,000 for their joint-point-to-point meetings. The Meath Foxhounds also received 34,600 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 and Fine Gael. 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
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