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Exposed: Priest's continued involvement in hare coursing
23 November 2012
A greyhound owned by a Catholic priest is listed as a runner-up at this week's Borris-in-Ossory coursing meet. Fr Dan Dunne, of Ballyadams Parish, Co. Laois, is said to be the owner and breeder of the dog.
In 2010, a complaint was made to Church authorities after it emerged Fr Dunne was acting as chairman of a coursing development committee that "has been busy organising the Irish Coursing Club Stand [at the Ploughing Championships festival]"
At the time, ICABS stated: "It is utterly shameful that a Catholic priest should be promoting and developing a barbaric activity which has no place in a civilised society and should be long since banned. Not only that, he is in direct contravention of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which clearly states that 'it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer and die needlessly.'"
See images of hares desperately running for their lives at this week's Borris-in-Ossory coursing meet
http://tinyurl.com/b6kgnnq
(Note: This is a link to a pro-coursing website)
ACTION ALERT
Contact the VERY Reverend Dan Dunne. Ask him to show compassion for the Irish hare, one of the gentlest of God's creatures, and end his involvement in the cruel bloodsport of coursing.
Tullamoy, Stradbally, Co. Laois.
Tel: 059-8627123
Email: danielgdunne@gmail.com
CC: ballyadamsce@eircom.net
Demand that the Bishops' Conference act to end clergy involvement in activities involving cruelty to animals.
Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference
Columba Centre
Maynooth, Co. Kildare
Tel: +353 (0)1 505 3000
Fax: +353 (0)1 601 6401
Email: columbacentre@iecon.ie
Complaint to Catholic Church over priest's coursing connection
22 September 2010
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports is horrified to learn that a Catholic priest is chairman of a coursing development committee that "has been busy organising the Irish Coursing Club Stand [at the Ploughing Championships festival]". Fr. Dan Dunne of Ballyadams Parish, Co. Laois has been brought to the attention of church authorities as part of a formal complaint.
According to the Sporting Press, the Irish Coursing Club's newspaper, "The Coursing Development Group Committee, under the Chairmanship of Fr Dan Dunne, has been busy organising the ICC Stand and they look forward to welcoming thousands into their marquee over the three days."
"It is utterly shameful that a Catholic priest should be promoting and developing a barbaric activity which has no place in a civilised society and should be long since banned," said Aideen Yourell, Spokesperson for the Irish Council Against Blood Sports. "Not only that, he is in direct contravention of the Catechism of the Catholic Church which clearly states that 'it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer and die needlessly.'"
Hares do indeed suffer as reports obtained by ICABS under the Freedom of Information Act show. The latest reports for the last season 2009/10 reveal that in Gorey, 12 hares were hit, 7 badly, with three deaths. Two days after coursing, the ranger discovered three more hares dead from injuries In Ardpatrick & Kilfinane last December, 16 hares were hit, 5 injured, 3 killed and another dead hare was found afterwards; 1 hare suffering from a dislocated hip was put down. At Tralee last December, 7 hares were hit, 1 put down, and a further 4 found dead afterwards; a ranger described a mauled hare with "marks on its back and bare areas", while a vet noted the cause of a hare death as "knocks sustained during coursing the previous day". Another ranger noted that the muzzle came off a greyhound which caught a hare in its mouth and ran up the coursing field with the "hare hanging limp", while a hare with a damaged leg was noted at Fermoy.
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has made a formal complaint to the Catholic Church authorities regarding Fr. Dunne's connection to coursing.
ACTION ALERT
Send a letter of complaint to the Church authorities
Mgr. Brendan Byrne
Diocesan Administrator
Bishop's House, Carlow
Email: brendan.byrne@kandle.ie
Tel +353 59 9176725
Fax +353 59 9176850
Send a copy of your correspondence to the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference
Columba Centre
Maynooth
Co. Kildare
Tel: +353 (0)1 505 3000
Fax: +353 (0)1 601 6401
Email: columbacentre@iecon.ie
Make a complaint directly to Rev. Dan Dunne PP
Tullamoy, Stradbally, Co. Laois.
Email: danielgdunne@mymeteor.ie
Tel: 059-8627123
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 Sirs,
Paragraph 2418 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that 'it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer and die needlessly.' The Catechism also says that 'Animals are God's creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness.' I therefore appeal to you to intervene to urge Fr Dan Dunne of Ballyadams Parish to end his association with hare coursing, a blood sport that causes suffering, injury and death to hares. According to a Sporting Press report, Fr Dan Dunne is chairman of the Irish Coursing Club's Coursing Development Group Committee which 'has been busy organising the Irish Coursing Club Stand [at the Ploughing Championships festival]'. I find it shameful that any Catholic priest should be involved in promoting and developing a cruel and barbaric activity such as coursing. I hope you will act to ensure that clergy connections to coursing are ended. Thank you. I look forward to your response. With best wishes. Yours sincerely, [Name/Location] |
Slideshow: the cruelty of hare coursing in Ireland
Further Reading
The Facts About Hare Coursing
Stress and Capture Myopathy in Hares
Irish Hare: "conservation status is poor"
Hares and rabbits factsheet
More information about hare coursing
Coursing: Leaflet | Photos | Videos | Petition
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