Protest against Minister Gormley's coursing licences 13 August 2009 Maureen O'Sullivan TD and Noel Gregory (brother of the late Tony Gregory, TD) at the anti-coursing protest outside the Department of the Environment, August 13th 2009. During the protest a minute's silence was observed for Tony who contributed so much the campaign over the years. The Irish Council Against Blood Sports joins with Animal Rights Action Network between midday and 2pm today, Thursday, August 13, outside the Department of the Environment, Custom House, Dublin, for a peaceful protest calling on Minister John Gormley to refuse a further licence to the Irish Coursing Club. The licence permits coursing clubs to snatch in the region of 7,000 hares from the wild for use as live lures for greyhounds at coursing meetings around the country during the coursing season which begins on October 1st. Every coursing season, hares continue to be injured and killed by greyhounds at coursing meetings and last year was no exception, as reports obtained by ICABS under FOI revealed. For example, at Enniscorthy - 7 hares were mauled by dogs, with six dying of their injuries; Ballyheighue, Co. Kerry - 6 hares hit and 4 killed; Gorey -11 hares hit, 7 injured and 5 put down because of injuries; Doon - 11 hares hit, 4 died from injuries, and so the catalogue of cruelty continues, year on year, as we approach 2010 in a so-called civilised country! Not only that, but hare numbers are in decline in the wild, and Minister Gormley is well aware of this problem. Only last year, he himself issued a report on the Status of EU Protected Habitats and Species in Ireland, which rated the conservation status of the Irish hare as 'POOR', with reasons given as loss of habitat, increased urbanisation and hunting. This decline continues, as a recent survey published in Northern Ireland shows, and in response to that decline, all hare hunting across the border has been suspended for the last five years, while down south our Green Minister turns a blind eye to the problem, and allows our precious hare population to be recklessly exploited by the coursers and other assorted hare hunters. It's time for Minister John Gormley to live up to his Green credentials and move to give the hare the protection it so desperately needs. He should stand up to Brian Cowen and his pro-coursing Fianna Fail buddies and call time on this barbarism. Aideen Yourell, Spokesperson IRISH COUNCIL AGAINST BLOOD SPORTS Minister Gormley - Stop Licensing Coursing (New Action Alert Poster) 23 July 2009 Please download, display and distribute our new Action Alert Poster aimed at persuading Irish Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, to stop licensing the cruel blood sport of hare coursing. We would be grateful if you could print this poster and display it at your local music venues, youth clubs, animal welfare stands, veterinary surgery waiting areas, etc. Thank you. Download Poster Now (pdf, 560 Kb) Minister Gormley - Stop Licensing Hare Coursing Coursing is cruel from beginning to end. Thousands of hares are forcefully snatched from the Irish countryside in nets, kept in captivity for weeks and forced to run for their lives in front of muzzled greyhounds. When hit, they suffer agonising life-threatening injuries, including broken bones. ACTION ALERT Please ask Minister John Gormley (Green Party) to stop licensing coursing. Email "STOP LICENSING CRUEL HARE COURSING" to minister@environ.ie SAMPLE LETTER (If you have time, please compose your own personal letter. Otherwise, feel free to send the short sample letter below. Be assertive, but polite, in all correspondence. Thank you.) Dear Minister Gormley I am one of the majority opposed to the cruel blood sport of hare coursing. I am appalled that as leader of the Green Party, you have issued licences for this animal cruelty in recent years. As you are aware, hares suffer from the moment they are snatched from the wild in nets, during their time in captivity and while they are being chased by the greyhounds. When hit, they suffer agonising life-threatening injuries, including broken bones. The cruelty of coursing is clear to see at www.youtube.com/watch?v=D58qbzC-GI4 How can you possibly justify keeping this blood sport alive by licensing it? I strongly urge you to REFUSE a licence to the coursers for the 2009-10 season and to put in place permanent protection for this most timid and treasured of species. It is contrary to Green Party principles to facilitate animal cruelty. Yours sincerely, [Your name and location] Campaign Videos: Urge Green Party leader to stop licensing cruelty Campaign Videos: Ban Coursing in Ireland More ICABS Videos Campaign Videos: Urge the Green party to ban blood sports More information about hare coursing Coursing: Leaflet | Photos | Videos | Petition Make a donation to ICABS Please consider making a small donation to ICABS. For more details, please click on the button below or follow this link to find out how to become a campaign supporter. Thank you. News Menu | Join | Top | Home