The cruel practice of hunting foxes and other wild animals with packs of hounds remains legal in Ireland, thanks to the support of dodgy politicians and the widespread bullying of landowners and anyone who stands against the cruelty.

But hunting has a serious weakness. In recent months articles in the Irish Field and other pro-hunt publications drew attention to the fact that hunts are finding it increasingly difficult to get insurance cover for their activities. Leading hunt supporters are warning that the “sport” could end if this challenge is not overcome.

In a huge blow to the hunts, Liberty Mutual announced recently that it was withdrawing from the hunt insurance sector in Ireland.

Other insurance companies are wavering and may follow this example.

They see hunting as a “high risk” activity due to the many personal injury court actions taken against hunts by their own members following accidents, and claims by injured hunters against landowners and farmers who had given them permission to hunt on their property.

I spoke to an insurance broker who happens to be anti-hunt and he told me that another factor that some insurance companies are worried about is the involvement of hunt sabs who disrupt hunts in a bid to save animals. This adds to the concern, he informed me, that a hunt will become enmeshed in insurance claims arising from a confrontation or mishap in the course of a day’s hunting.

So, it seems that all their bullying and strong-arm tactics might not save the hunts this time! Hunting might well be “closed down” in Ireland long before it is banned by law.

Let’s add to their worries by lobbying insurance companies to follow the example of Liberty Mutual and end all insurance cover for hunts.

Two big ones to contact are the Patrona and Howden insurance companies, both of which provide cover for hunting but are open persuasion on the issue.

You can use the following sample message or compose one of your own:

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to our attention that you offer insurance cover to the horrific practice of hunting animals to death or injury with hounds.

Apart from the cruelty involved, we ask you to consider the financial viability of this policy given the high risk of personal injury claims that hunting now carries. In addition to the prevalence  of hunt accidents, this activity is in recent years coming under increasing attack from direction action groups who disrupt hunts in a bid to save the lives of animals. This adds further to the unpredictability of this horrific so-called “sport.”

Surveys show that an overwhelming majority of Irish people oppose hunting and want it banned. We urge you to please stop providing insurance cover of any kind, or at any cost, to hunting in Ireland.

Thanking you

Contact details:

Patrona Underwriting Limited

The Bushels, Cornmarket, Wexford

Tel: 053 91 80300

Email: info@patrona.ie

David Howden

CEO, Howden Group

Andy Bragoli

CEO, Howden Insurance Brokers Ltd

Email: David.Howden@howdengroup.com,  Andy.Bragoli@howdengroup.com

Or email them in one block:

info@patrona.ie, David.Howden@howdengroup.com,  Andy.Bragoli@howdengroup.com