Join us in urging Fine Gael to back a ban on cruel hare coursing by voting in favour of the Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill on 2nd July. 

Most people in Ireland want this barbaric bloodsport banned - as confirmed repeatedly by opinion polls over the years.

Coursing causes huge disturbance to the Irish Hare species and each of the thousands of hares netted from the wild and forced to run for their lives suffer fear and stress. The ordeal compromises the welfare of all of the hares and negatively impacts their subsequent chances of survival. The stress-related illness, capture myopathy, can claim the lives of hares in the days and weeks after coursing has concluded.

Every coursing season, hares who are caught and pinned to the ground suffer injuries so severe, they die or are euthanised by coursing club vets.

Hares are being terrorised, injured and killed for a cruel gambling activity, carried out for the amusement of a merciless minority who enjoy seeing defenceless animals being chased.

In a submission to Fine Gael TDs, the Irish Council Against Blood Sports highlighted the suffering and deaths in coursing and fears for the future of this iconic species in the midst of a government-declared Biodiversity Emergency.

The Irish Hare must be protected, not persecuted. It's finally time for a ban on coursing.

TAKE ACTION

Contact Fine Gael leader Simon Harris and party TDs and tell them to vote in favour of the Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill on 2nd July.

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

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 am writing to ask that you please help bring cruel hare coursing to an end in Ireland by voting in favour of Paul Murphy TD’s Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020 when it returns to the Dail on 2nd July. 

Under licence from the Department of Heritage, coursers net thousands of hares from the wild, transport them in boxes to coursing compounds, manhandle them, hold them in captivity for weeks/months and eventually force them to run for their lives in front of greyhounds.

All the hares suffer fear and stress and, despite the muzzling of the dogs, hares are injured and killed every coursing season when they are caught and mauled. Among the injuries documented are broken back, spinal injury, broken legs, damaged toes and dislocated hips.

Hares suffer at all stages – during capture, while held captive and at the coursing meetings where they can be seen desperately running as a merciless mob cheer the dogs on and gamble on which will be first to force the hare to change direction. Coursing compromises the welfare of hares and those who survive the ordeal remain at risk of dying from stress-related capture myopathy in the days and weeks after they are released back to the wild.

With the suffering, stress, injury and death caused to hares at coursing meetings, there should be no hesitation in finally ending this shameful activity. This would be widely welcomed by the 77% majority of Irish citizens who want coursing banned (just 9% disagree with a ban. Source: RED C poll).

Ireland is in the middle of a biodiversity crisis and it’s time for the iconic Irish Hare to be given full protection and allowed to live free from persecution. 

Please support the Animal Health & Welfare (Ban on Hare Coursing) Bill 2020 on 2nd July.

Thank you. I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

[Name/Address]

Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports
http://revolut.me/icabs

Watch our campaign videos

Tell your TDs to support the “Ban on Hare Coursing” Bill on 2nd July 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeVMqt6PamE

The suffering of hares during 2025 26 coursing season 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jN3OMM7_UY