We are calling on Mallow Search and Rescue to disassociate from a joint-fundraiser with Duhallow fox hunt. Money raised at the fundraiser - to be held at Curraheen Park greyhound track - will partly fund "capital investment in the [hunt] club kennels and on site accommodation for the club’s full time huntsman" https://www.independent.ie/regionals/cork/news/duhallow-hunt-club-and-mallow-search-and-rescue-team-up-for-night-at-the-dogs-fundraiser/a226095669.html
“Fox hunting involves abhorrent animal cruelty,” we stated in our appeal to Mallow Search and Rescue. “Foxes are chased to exhaustion and when caught, they are knocked to the ground, bitten, disembowelled and pulled apart. The vast majority of people in Ireland want this bloodsport banned. The latest NSPCA-commissioned Bounce Insights National Survey found that 82% support a ban on fox hunting for sport.”
The shameful terrorisation of foxes by Duhallow Foxhounds (one of whose “masters” is Fianna Fail Councillor Pat Hayes) has been well documented...
A 20 February 2026 Irish Field report revealed that at the start of a hunt, the pack of dogs found a fox and “ran firstly for the main road, before swinging left-handed and running almost into Mallow, where he was marked to ground and given best”. According to the report, “the best of the day was still to come” and the hounds “started with a whimpering, uncertain cry, but as the pack rallied it became an outburst”. The dogs “ran for Doneraile” with the hunt followers “spread over a couple of Cork parishes”. The fate of the fox was not revealed.
A 28 November 2025 Irish Field report outlined that during a Duhallow Foxhounds hunt, the hunters and hounds “found [a fox] and a nice hunt ensued over some challenging banks and a really decent stream that had to be forded”. Later “hounds drew on through Dan Lucey’s with some really challenging single banks”. According to the report, the hunt went on for more than four hours.
A previous report focused on a five and a half hour hunt during which foxes were forced to run for their lives across “an enormous amount of country” in County Cork. The 23 December 2024 report detailed how the hunters and dogs “hunted up and down the substantial woodland” and “hunted on through the old creamery farm and through Gurteenard Stud” and “hunted on through Hurner’s Wood before marking to ground near Philpotts”. In fox hunting terminology, “marking 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.
We pointed out to Mallow Search and Rescue that animal welfare groups across Ireland want fox hunting ended due to the inherent cruelty. Along with the Irish Council Against Blood Sports, these include the NSPCA, Irish Wildlife Trust, National Animal Rights Association, Rural Ireland Against Fox Hunting, My Lovely Horse Rescue, Kildare Wildlife Rescue, Limerick Animal Welfare, Stand With Foxes, Animal Rights Action Network, Wicklow Animal Welfare, New Ross SPCA, Hilltop Animal Sanctuary, Association of Hunt Saboteurs, League Against Cruel Sports, Ulster SPCA, etc.
The venue for the fundraiser is Curraheen Park - one of the worst tracks in Ireland for dog injuries and deaths. 263 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 96 were killed over the past 11 years alone, sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show. This includes 30 injuries and 10 deaths in 2025. Among the injuries - fractured hock/wrist/metatarsal, injured wrist/elbow, dislocated toe, torn gracilis muscle, wounded toe/metatarsal/leg, hock ligament injury, hock hyper-extension and cut toe.
While we acknowledge the importance of fundraising to its vital work, we hope Mallow Search and Rescue will show compassion, and join other charities in saying NO to fox hunts.
It is deplorable that groups like Mallow Search and Rescue, which play such an important role in the community, are forced to fundraise while fox hunting and greyhound racing receive vast amounts of state funding every year.
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. The Duhallow Foxhounds hunt has received €780,800 in that period, including €90,050 in 2025. Meanwhile, Greyhound Racing Ireland has been granted over €386 million since 2001, including €19.8 million for 2026.
ACTION ALERT
Join us in our appeal to Mallow Search and Rescue.
Email: mallowsearchandrescue@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mallowsar/
Since 2001, the Irish Government has granted over €1.9 Billion of public funds to horse racing and greyhound racing. Contact the Taoiseach and Tanaiste and demand an end to state funding to these gambling activities which cause so much suffering and death. Tell them to redirect the funds to the many deserving charities, health/homeless/environmental groups, sports clubs, animal rescue centres, etc crying out for funding.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Tanaiste Simon Harris TD
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Sign and share the petitions
Irish Government: Stop giving millions of euros to horse racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euros-to-horse-racing
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
Witness the cruelty of foxhunting at