Hare found dead at Tipperary coursing meeting had wound and injured eye
A hare “found dead” at a coursing meeting in Tipperary in December had suffered an injured eye and a wound on the hind quarters, a newly released document has revealed.
The hare was one of 44 captured from the wild for use as live bait for greyhounds to chase at the Borrisoleigh coursing meeting on 26 and 27 December 2025.
During the animal cruelty event, 3 hares were hit by dogs and 3 others were pinned to the ground.
A National Parks and Wildlife Service conservation ranger, who was present to monitor the terrorisation of the hares, reported that 1 hare was “found dead in hare park the morning after [Day 1] of coursing” (i.e. on 27 December 2025).
The coursers and the coursing club vet claimed that the hare “died from natural causes” but the ranger stated that zero hares died of natural causes.
It is unknown if the hare who was found dead in the coursing enclosure was one of the three hares hit by dogs the previous day.
In a report dated 27 December, the NPWS ranger indicated that the dead hare was not “submitted to Regional Veterinary Lab for post mortem”.
It has now emerged that the hare was, in fact, sent for a post-mortem.
A Department of Agriculture Veterinary Lab report, obtained by Paul Murphy TD further to a Dail Question to Heritage Minister James Browne (who shamefully licences coursing), shows that the dead hare was not received by the lab until 22 January 2026.
The report acknowledges that the hare was “found dead in hare park” at Borrisoleigh coursing field and reveals that the unfortunate animal had a “wound on the left hind quarter” and an injured left eye.
The hare also had a moderate infection of Coccidia (contagious).
The post-mortem report, dated 15 May 2026, also showed:
- All abdominal viscera congested; especially liver and kidney.
- Heart congested.
- Culture results suggest infection of the liver from the intestine.
- Coccidial oocysts detected.
- Diagnosis of enteritis and hepatitis.
The report noted that the hare was tested for rabbit haemorrhagic disease and that it was not detected. This confirmation that the hare was not infected with the highly contagious disease did not come until nearly five months after the coursing meeting concluded and the 43 surviving hares were released back to wild.
Thanks to licences granted by Minister James Browne, coursing clubs are again rounding up thousands of hares around Ireland for another season of coursing cruelty. All the hares will suffer fear and stress and some will be hit, mauled and sustain injuries and die. A ban on this bloodsport is long overdue.
ACTION ALERT
Contact Ministers James Browne and Christopher O'Sullivan and appeal to them to show compassion for the persecuted Irish Hare and withdraw the 2026-27 hare coursing licences.
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
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopher_o_sullivan_td
X: https://twitter.com/COSullivanTD
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the sample letter below)
Dear Ministers Browne and O’Sullivan,
I am writing to ask you to please WITHDRAW the licences you granted for another season of cruel hare coursing.
The licences allow coursers to 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, detached/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 greyhounds on and gamble on which dog 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 withdraw the licences as a step towards a long overdue ban on coursing.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Address]
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
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Watch our campaign videos
The suffering of hares during 2025-26 coursing season
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jN3OMM7_UY
Bill to ban hare coursing shamefully rejected - 24 in favour, 125 against
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMSh_T5l6i0