NPWS advised Minister NOT to sanction hare coursers who breached licence conditions
In August 2025, the National Parks & Wildlife Service told coursers that if "issues" that occurred during the 2024/25 coursing season continued during the 2025/26 season, "SANCTIONS WILL BE IMPOSED.” The issues related to "hare releases, veterinary presence, co-operation from club officials, hare escapes, incomplete and clerical errors on forms and provision of tag number detail".
Less than a year later, on 21 July 2026, the National Parks & Wildlife Service advised the Minister NOT to sanction hare coursers for licence breaches during the 2025/26 season - “NPWS officials noted a number of potential breaches of the ICC [Irish Coursing Club] licence conditions during the monitoring of coursing events this year. These ranged from tagging of hares, hare releases, co-operation from club officials, incomplete and clerical errors on forms, discrepancies following the counting of hares and vet presence at meetings...IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO IMPOSE SANCTIONS AT THIS TIME.”
Shame on Minister James Browne and those in the National Parks & Wildlife Service who facilitate the continuation of a bloodsport which causes stress, injury and death to the Irish Hare.
Among the victims last season were:
• A hare found in agony with a detached and protruding leg bone after a coursing meeting in Limerick
• A pregnant hare who died at a coursing meeting in Gorey. She suffered abdominal bruising and haemorrhage
• A hare “found dead” at a coursing meeting in Tipperary who suffered an injured eye and a wound on the hind quarters
• Hares who "died of injuries"
• Injured hares euthanised by vets
• An injured hare who was “given injection for shock”
• Hares administered painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs
• A hare who suffered bruising after being pinned to the ground by a dog
• A hare mauled with such force that an ear tag came off
• A mauled hare with a graze on the back
• A hare seen with "ear bleeding from tag removal”
• A hare who got tangled in a wire fence during coursing
• A hare who “died during release”
SEE ALSO
NPWS’s shameful recommendation to Minister: Grant coursing licences and DON’T sanction coursers who breached conditions
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1394174592855139&set=a.603523135253626
ACTION ALERT
Contact Ministers James Browne and Christopher O'Sullivan. Urge them to withdraw the hare coursing licences and sanction all coursing clubs which breached licence conditions.
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
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