As the campaign to end hare coursing in Ireland continues I’m glad to see another review of Bad Hare Days, an account of my own involvement in that campaign. Though its good to see the review it also serves a reminder that hare coursing still, incredibly, remains legal here. The campaign goes on…

When will Hares run their last human course and be left to enchant us by running free

Review by Philip G. Brady (5.0 out of 5 stars)

Reviewed on UK Amazon 3 September 2023

Whatever about the difficulties of eradicating the abuse of animals used for human food, you could be forgiven for thinking it would be a comparatively easier task to eliminate abuse of animals used for sport.

However, this book begs to differ.  It excellently and engagingly delineates the dreadful difficulties involved in freeing the magical hare from the mauling hands of manipulative people.

In my many years on this planet I can count on one hand the number of times I have seen a hare in the wild, but each of those times was an awe-inspiring glimpse behind nature's veil…which stopped me in my tracks and brought me back to the wonderful stories of hares that fill the pages of Irish folklore.

The next generation is losing out on their connection with the care of such creatures and their natural habitats, and it is the writing of such dedicated campaigners as John Fitzgerald, that can help to overturn this.

I read this book (Bad Hare Days) on kindle years ago and was enthralled by John's descriptive, and often humorous, accounts of his run-ins with the rural establishments of his earlier days, all because he took a stand against the barbaric treatment of a defenseless creature.

This review is long in coming but was triggered by reading a recent letter written by John in a local Dublin paper, still discussing the plight of the hare, "being netted", for use as a "live lure on a coursing field".

I was shocked to think that he still had to address this issue.

I hope more people will read this book, still obviously so relevant and needed, and become part of a powerful voice for the innocent voiceless!

Link to Bad Hare Days on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Hare-Days-John-Fitzgerald/dp/1720191913/