We are calling on Limerick County Council in Ireland reject an application from Glin Coursing Club to facilitate a lavish live hare coursing venue on one of Ireland’s most scenic beauty spots.

This petition asks the County Council NOT to give the go-ahead for the installation (under the guise of “agricultural purposes”) of a live hare coursing venue at Ballynagoul, Glin, County Limerick. The Council is due to give its decision on the hare coursing club’s application on October 25th.

We are asking the County Council to please respect the rights of people who live in the area whose lives will be severely disrupted and inconvenienced, consider the well proven cruelty of hare coursing and say NO to the application from Glin Coursing Club.

Background and further details:

A County Limerick, Ireland based hare coursing club is getting away with an outrageous flouting of planning laws and procedures, and is doing so with the full knowledge of Limerick County Council.

A large complex for the holding, feeding, and “training” of captive hares on a field purchased by Glin Coursing Club for hare coursing purposes has no planning permission, and a letter of enforcement (see attached) was sent by Limerick County Council to the club personnel last year.

Coursing fans consider the venue at Ballinagoul, Glin a “state of the art” coursing field, with its picturesque location that offers a pleasant view of the River Shannon.

Locals who have complained about the lack of planning permission and the disruption to their lives caused by the hare coursing activities on their doorstep believe their concerns are being ignored by the Council.

The coursing venue was opened two years ago with much pomp and ceremony, with a local priest officially blessing the field.

So, not only do coursing clubs snatch hares from their natural environment for use as live bait. They also appear to consider themselves above the law by not applying for planning permission, and then ignoring an enforcement order from Limerick County Council.

Glin Coursing Club is now applying for retention on the grounds that this field is primarily for “agricultural use”, grazing cattle and sheep and so forth, and they even claim in the planning application that they bought the field for the benefit of the whole community.

This coursing field clearly belongs to Glin coursing club and its primary purpose is to facilitate is hare coursing events.

The retention decision is due on October 25th. Hopefully Limerick County Council will reject this bogus planning retention application.

The club has already held this year's coursing event, causing immense inconvenience and disruption for locals in the vicinity and another coursing event is scheduled for November 4th and 5th, with Galway and Oranmore Coursing Cub having been invited to stage their annual fixture on the same County Limerick venue.

I have personally received correspondence by email from Glin residents about this issue. Here is what one local woman (she lives very near the Glin coursing venue) said in an email to me:

“…We are very concerned about what is happening outside our front door. I have tried on several occasions to find out from the council why they haven't acted on the enforcement letter but am getting no reply. The club have applied for retention of planning for a shed that was built last year. The shed is for hares not livestock. They have all kinds of fencing up and gaps opened on the road, getting away with it as they say it's for agricultural purpose. Coursing was last weekend and there must of been upwards on 600 people up and down this quiet country road. I found out the other day a crowd from Galway are coming here in a few weeks to have their meeting here as well. Not to lead you astray we are very sporting people, I have no interest in coursing but really had no concerns when they purchased the field. I thought they would have their coursing and the field would be put back to normal when it was over. I had no idea they would put up permanent fixtures. We have no contact with the club as they know our position. We have tried on couple of occasions last year to come to an agreement with them but they never followed thru. We were just looking for advice on how to deal with this situation. we didn't object because we have 3 children and there is bad feeling between ourselves and several members of the club and we didn't want our names up on the council's website. I will forward on copy of enforcement notice and the planning application is 15676 on council's website. You can see on Glin coursing's facebook page pictures of hare complex. They have said in their planning application that shed is for lambing. I would appreciate your feedback, thank you."

Further background details:

You can check a Limerick Leader story (link below) about the coursing field which makes it quite clear that it's Glin coursing club's field, and that its use is intended for hare coursing, and the sheds etc. are slipper's hut and hare boxing area, not for rearing small animals as stated in the club’s planning application.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/community/glin-coursing-club-s-new-field-of-dreams-a-beauty-1-4996352

The application for retention was made on 31 August and is due for decision on 25th October. Glin coursing club's facebook page displays shows pictures of the venue:
https://www.facebook.com/Glin-Coursing-158202197539968/timeline/

Campaigners against hare coursing are determined that Glin Coursing Club does not get away with its outrageous behaviour and our campaign for a total ban on this cruel so-called "sport" will continue.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald
Campaign for the Abolition
Of Cruel Sports