A big THANK YOU to Councillor Declan Meehan (Independent, Donegal County Council) for becoming the latest politician to come out against cruel fox hunting.

“I completely oppose fox hunting in Ireland because it causes unnecessary suffering to wildlife and relies on outdated practices that have no place in a modern society," Cllr Meehan stated this week. "I believe wildlife management should be humane, science-based, and focused on conservation rather than blood sports."

Cllr Meehan is among the majority in Ireland who want the bloodsport ended. The latest opinion poll - conducted by Bounce Insights on behalf of the NSPCA - shows that 82% support a ban on fox hunting. 

Other Donegal County Councillors who are opposed to fox hunting include:

Cllr Joy Beard (100% Redress Party)
“I want to make my position clear. I am against all blood sports and any form of cruelty to animals. I do not support activities that cause unnecessary suffering or harm to animals for sport or entertainment”

Cllr Gary Doherty (Sinn Fein)
“I am opposed to any form of blood sports and any activity which perpetuates undue and inhumane cruelty to animals.”

Cllr Michael Cholm Mac Giolla Esbuig (Independent)
“Totally opposed to bloodsports” 

Cllr Dakota Nic Mheanman (Sinn Fein)
“I am totally against fox hunting as a blood sport”

Find out the views of other politicians on our political pages
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2020/01/08/politicians-and-animal-cruelty-issues/

ACTION ALERT

Contact the leaders of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Tell them to ban fox hunting.

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

Email Fianna Fail and Fine Gael TDs and urge them to back a ban on fox hunting.

Fianna Fail TDs

john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie;peterchap.cleere@oireachtas.ie;jennifer.murnaneoconnor@oireachtas.ie;brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie;niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie;cathal.crowe@oireachtas.ie;timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie;james.oconnor@oireachtas.ie;padraig.osullivan@oireachtas.ie;michael.moynihan@oireachtas.ie;aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie;seamus.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie;micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie;christopher.osullivan@oireachtas.ie;patthecope.gallagher@oireachtas.ie;Charlie.McConalogue@oireachtas.ie;tom.brabazon@oireachtas.ie;jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie;darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie;shane.moynihan@oireachtas.ie;paul.mcauliffe@oireachtas.ie;shay.brennan@oireachtas.ie;catherine.ardagh@oireachtas.ie;john.lahart@oireachtas.ie;jack.chambers@oireachtas.ie;Minister@per.gov.ie;cormac@cormacdevlin.ie;albert.dolan@oireachtas.ie;john.connolly@oireachtas.ie;michael.cahill@oireachtas.ie;norma.foley@oireachtas.ie;minister@dcde.gov.ie;naoise.ocearuil@oireachtas.ie;james.lawless@oireachtas.ie;sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie;sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie;willie.odea@oireachtas.ie;niall.collins@oireachtas.ie;Robert.Troy@oireachtas.ie;erin.mcgreehan@oireachtas.ie;dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie; ministerdrcd@drcd.gov.ie; thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie;aisling.dempsey@oireachtas.ie;tony.mccormack@oireachtas.ie;martin.daly@oireachtas.ie;eamon.scanlon@oireachtas.ie;ryan.omeara@oireachtas.ie;mary.butler@oireachtas.ie;james.browne@oireachtas.ie; minister@housing.gov.ie;malcolm.byrne@oireachtas.ie

Fine Gael TDs

catherine.callaghan@oireachtas.ie;david.maxwell@oireachtas.ie;joe.cooney@oireachtas.ie;colm.burke@oireachtas.ie;johnpaul.oshea@oireachtas.ie;jerry.buttimer@oireachtas.ie;naoise.omuiri@oireachtas.ie;james.geoghegan@oireachtas.ie;Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie;grace.boland@oireachtas.ie;emer.higgins@oireachtas.ie;maeve.oconnell@oireachtas.ie;neale.richmond@oireachtas.ie;colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie;emer.currie@oireachtas.ie;barry.ward@oireachtas.ie;jennifer.carrollmacneill@oireachtas.ie;peter.roche@oireachtas.ie;hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie;joe.neville@oireachtas.ie;Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie;william.aird@oireachtas.ie;kieran.odonnell@oireachtas.ie;Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie;peter.burke@oireachtas.ie;micheal.carrigy@oireachtas.ie;paula.butterly@oireachtas.ie;alan.dillon@oireachtas.ie;keira.keogh@oireachtas.ie;helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie;john.clendennen@oireachtas.ie;frank.feighan@oireachtas.ie;michael.murphy@oireachtas.ie;john.cummins@oireachtas.ie;Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie;edward.timmins@oireachtas.ie;brian.brennan@oireachtas.ie;noel.mccarthy@oireachtas.ie

Sample Letter
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter)

Dear Deputy,

I urge you and your party to support a ban on cruel fox hunting.

The vast majority - in both rural and urban areas - are in favour of a ban. The latest opinion poll - the NSPCA-commissioned Bounce Insights National Survey 2026 - shows that 82% support a ban on fox hunting. Previous RED C and Ireland Thinks polls confirmed overwhelming support for a ban. 

As you know, fox hunting involves horrendous cruelty to animals. Foxes are chased to exhaustion by packs of dogs and when caught, they are attacked, knocked off their feet, bitten, disembowelled and pulled apart. Foxes who try to escape underground suffer further cruelty. The hunt’s terriermen send terriers down the hole to corner and attack the fox. They dig the clay away from above and the squealing and injured fox is then pulled out and brutally killed.

Fox hunters try to justify their bloodsport by falsely portraying foxes as a threat to farming interests.

In fact, these fascinating and intelligent creatures are very much part of our natural heritage and play an important role in the ecosystem. Claims that foxes are a threat, ignore research by Teagasc which confirms that the vast majority of lamb deaths are caused by infection, dystocia, hypothermia and starvation. Teagasc stresses that farmers may “perceive predators (fox, mink, dog, etc) to be the main cause of lamb mortality” even though “it is unlikely that predators are the main cause”.

In any case, no farmer should seek to solve perceived problems by inviting dozens of hunters on horseback to hurtle heavily across wet winter fields, leaving pockmarked trails of destruction in their wake and posing a biosecurity risk as they traverse numerous boundaries.

The wild and wondrous madra rua (red dog) deserves to be cherished and afforded the same protection given to domestic dogs. It is unacceptable that they are the victims of recreational animal cruelty.

Animal welfare groups all across Ireland are united in their calls for a ban on fox hunting.

Please side with the compassionate majority of the electorate and back a ban. In doing so, you will be helping to stop the suffering and finally kill off this obscene bloodsport.

Thank you. I look forward to your response.

Yours faithfully,

[Name/Address]

Please also get in touch with your local TDs and urge them to pledge support for a ban. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/34

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 videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tx5_T2TL_g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5Rf3Cv58x0