4 hares DEAD following Donegal coursing meet

Petition updateBan Blood Sports in Ireland4 hares DEAD following Donegal coursing meet

Irish Council Against Blood SportsMullingar, Ireland

May 12, 2026

4 hares suffered injuries and died at a coursing meeting in Lifford, County Donegal, 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 East Donegal animal cruelty event (held on 30/31 December 2025 and 1 January 2026):

3 hares were caught and pinned to the ground by dogs on Day 1. All three hares were confirmed injured. Two of the hares “died from injuries” and the third hare was euthanised by the coursing club’s vet.

On Day 2, another hare was hit by greyhounds and “died from injuries”

The four hares who died were among 42 hares snatched from the wild between 1 October and 1 December 2025. They were held in captivity for up to 95 days.

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

Shame on this vet. 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

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