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Ask 95fm to drop cruel coursing from its "sports" coverage
09 August 2012
Limerick's Live 95fm has been urged to exclude hare coursing from future sports coverage. Earlier this year, the station's sports editor described his visit to the coursing finals in Clonmel as "a mighty 3 days". In an appeal to the programme director, ICABS highlighted the suffering, injury and death involved in coursing.
In a February 2012 report, 95fm sports editor Liam Aherne described his attendance at the coursing finals as "a mighty 3 days", adding that there "is nothing more exciting then [sic] having a local dog in the Derby quarters and semis".
In a complaint to the station, ICABS objected to the sports department's categorisation of the chasing of live animals with dogs as "sport".
"Hare coursing is certainly not a sport and should never be classified as such by 95fm," we stated. "It is one of Ireland's worst forms of animal cruelty, causing horrific injuries and death to the Irish Hare. Among the injuries sustained are broken bones and dislocated hips. All hares used in coursing suffer the fear and stress of running for their lives."
We pointed to the latest catalogue of cruelty from the 2011-12 coursing season as well as video footage filmed in Limerick showing hares being hit and mauled into the ground by greyhounds (see below).
Hare coursing is an illegal activity in Northern Ireland, the jurisdiction of 95fm's parent company UTV Media Plc.
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ACTION ALERT
Join us in complaining to 95fm about its "sports" coverage of hare coursing cruelty. Ask the station to drop coursing from future sports reports.
Gary Connor
The Programme Director
Limerick's Live 95FM
Radio House
Dock Road
Limerick
Tel: +353 61 46 19 00
Email: complaints@live95fm.ie (CC: info@u.tv)
Leave a Comment on the 95FM Facebook Page
Ronan Mc Manamy
Chief Executive of Irish Radio
UTV Media
Email: alma@96fm.ie
John McCann
Group Chief Executive
UTV Media
Ormeau Road
Belfast BT7 1EB
Tel: +44 (0) 28 9032 8122
Fax: +44 (0) 28 9024 6695
Dear Sir,
I am one of the majority opposed to the blood sport of hare coursing. I am writing to object to 95fm's inclusion of this cruelty in its sports coverage.
Please recognise that using a live hare as a lure for greyhounds is not sport but animal cruelty. The suffering, injury and death caused to hares is well documented - the victims of the 2011-12 coursing season, for example, can be seen at www.banbloodsports.com/ln120504.htm
I also urge you to view footage from a coursing meeting in County Limerick earlier this year which clearly shows hares being hit and mauled by greyhounds (www.tinyurl.com/irishcup). How could this ever be categorised as 'sport'?
95fm - Please keep cruelty out of your sports reports!
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
[Name/Location]
ACTION ALERT
Contact Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney and demand that a ban on coursing is included in 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.
Urgently contact An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and An Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore. Ask them to show compassion for wildlife and introduce an immediate ban on coursing and foxhunting.
An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny
Department of the Taoiseach,
Telephone: 01-6194020
An Tanaiste, Eamon Gilmore
Office of the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade,
Tel: 01 6183566 (Dail) or 01 408 2000 (Iveagh House)
Email Both: eamon.gilmore@oireachtas.ie;taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie
Contact all your local TDs now. Demand that they urgently push for bans on coursing and foxhunting.
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.
Please also arrange a meeting with your TDs at their local clinics. Contact us for details.
Hares hit and mauled at JP McManus-sponsored Irish Cup 2012
Monitoring the Irish Cup coursing meeting in February, ICABS witnessed appalling scenes of hares being terrorised and hit and carried off the field. Fleeing hares could be seen desperately trying to evade capture but on several occasions, they were unsuccessful.
The dogs battered them, pinned them to the ground and mauled their delicate bodies. The pitiful cries were clearly audible. One hare was seen jumping against an advertisement board at the side of the field in a futile attempt to escape.
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