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Southern Star asked to drop hunt reports
19 April 2012
Cork's Southern Star newspaper has been asked to stop featuring hunting reports in its local notes section. One report described how a terrorised fox ran "like a scalded cat" during a hunt.
The Southern Star's 21st January 2012 edition carried the following account: "The hounds picked up the line of a fox in Mulcahy's farm, which took them to McCarthy's plantation where a vixen and five or six admirers were on foot - then one fox broke at the east end and went north through McCarthy's farm like a scalded cat with 7.5 couples [15 hounds] on his heels..."
The fox desperately ran for its life ahead of hounds that were said to be "travelling at a pace that would do justice to a greyhound on the straights at Clounanna".
A 24th December 2011 report focused on the infamous South Union hunt (whose appalling cruelty is featured in our Ban Foxhunting Video). It stated that at a St Stephen's Day hunt, the hunters were to "first assemble in the County Council car park on Crosshaven Road." A further report confirmed that the hunt had gathered on the Council property where they left their lorries and horseboxes.
A separate report declared that "hunting followers enjoyed some excellent sport at their two hunts during the past week". During these hunts, a hare "provided the hounds with a few turns, taking them over to Carrigeen and on to Ballylangley", "a sturdy fox took the hounds over through Grange and on to the Bog before going to ground" and "a fine dog fox was put out and he set the pace with a number of circles before going to ground in Lehina."
According to a 7th January 2012 report, "Members of the South Cork Farmers Hunt provided an impressive sight as they were waved off by Kinsale Mayor, Fred Treacy (Fine Gael)". Mayor Treacy can be contacted at ftreacy@gofree.indigo.ie or Tel: 021-4772691 or 086-8275481).
In an email to the editor of the Southern Star, ICABS called for an end to the offensive hunting reports. "Given the extreme cruelty of fox and hare hunting and the fact that Southern Star is a family newspaper, we appeal to your sense of compassion to stop giving space to those involved in this barbarity," we stated. "Please side with the majority who abhor cruelty and keep hunt reports out of the Southern Star."
ACTION ALERT
Contact the editor of Southern Star and ask for hunt reports to be excluded from future editions of the paper. Suggest that the paper instead exposes the appalling cruelty of foxhunting and hare hunting in County Cork.
The Editor
Southern Star Newspaper
Ilen Street
Skibbereen, Co. Cork
Ireland
Tel: +353(0)28 21200
Email: info@southernstar.ie
Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and An Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore. Demand that they show compassion for foxes and use the Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012 as an opportunity to protect foxes from hunting cruelty.
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Government Buildings,
Upper Merrion Street,
Dublin 2
Telephone: 01-6194020
Fax: 01-6764048
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
An Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore
Office of the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Iveagh House,
80 St. Stephen’s Green,
Dublin 2.
Tel: 01 6183566 (Dail)
Tel: 01 408 2000 (Iveagh House)
Fax: 01 408 2400
Email: eamon.gilmore@oireachtas.ie
SAMPLE LETTER
(If you have time, please compose your own personal letter.)
Dear Deputies,
I have just watched horrifying video footage of foxhunting barbarity in Ireland - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnmvhc_fox-hunting-blood-sports-in-ireland_animals
Such shameful cruelty must be tackled by the new Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012.
A draft of the bill incredibly includes an exemption for hunting. This is entirely unacceptable to the majority who care for wildlife and want it protected from bloodsport barbarity.
Please do not turn a blind eye to the disgusting acts of cruelty being committed in our countryside. Use the opportunity of the new animal welfare bill to give protection to foxes - one of the most persecuted species in Ireland - and tough penalties to those caught abusing animals.
Thank you. I look forward to your positive response.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]
Contact Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and demand that a hunting exemption is removed from the Animal Health and Welfare Bill 2012.
Minister Simon Coveney
Department of Agriculture
Agriculture House,
Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
Email: minister@agriculture.gov.ie
Tel: 01-607 2884 or LoCall 1890-200510.
Fax: 01-661 1013.
Contact all your local TDs now. Demand that they urgently help save foxes from cruelty and back a ban on hunting.
Find out the names of your TDs and their email addresses.
http://www.oireachtas.ie/members%2Dhist/default.asp?housetype=0&HouseNum=31&disp=const
http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?fn=/documents/Members_emails/document1.htm
If you prefer to post a letter to your TDs, address your correspondence to:
Dail Eireann
Leinster House
Kildare Street
Dublin 2.
Videos: Foxhunting Cruelty
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