Deer narrowly avoids collision with car during hunt in Ashbourne
06 February 2015

A deer ran through the grounds of a hotel, jumped over a wall and narrowly avoided colliding with a vehicle during a hunt in Ashbourne last Friday (January 30th). If you were in Ashbourne on the day and witnessed this deer being hunted, please get in touch with us now.

A video posted online shows the terrified animal jumping over the Ashbourne House Hotel's beer garden wall and emerging on to a busy road before leaping alongside a car that was driving past the adjacent Garda station.

Comments posted on social media confirm that a hunt was taking place in Ashbourne at the time. Witnesses say they saw hunters in the town and the deer dangerously running into the path of traffic.

Speaking in Dail Eireann this week, Deputy Clare Daly described the incident as a "shocking situation".

"A frightened stag stampeded through the main streets of Ashbourne, County Meath, presenting a danger to itself and pedestrians," she stated. "The Minister of State will be aware that road safety was one of the key reasons the 2010 legislation was passed."

This incident is truly shocking from the point of view of both animal welfare and road safety. Some years ago, a hunted deer which jumped onto a road in County Meath, was struck by a car and had to be put down due to its injuries. The occupants of the car were left badly shaken and "lucky to be alive".

According to the Wildlife Amendment Act 2010, "a person who hunts deer with two or more dogs shall be guilty of an offence." ICABS is calling on the Gardai to investigate this and take appropriate action.

The Ashbourne House Hotel has in the past been used as a meeting point for the Ward Union Staghounds, the only mounted deer hunt in the Republic.

Were you in Ashbourne on Friday, 30th January 2015? Did you see the hunters and deer? Please get in touch with us now with details of what you saw - info@banbloodsports.com Thank you.

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