Council video aims for ban on coursing

THE Irish Council Against Blood Sports has stepped up its campaign for the banning of live hare coursing by delivering to the Government a video of coursing meetings in which hares are seen being tossed about by muzzled greyhounds.

The council's vice president, the Dublin Independent TD Mr Tony Gregory, says muzzling of greyhounds has been shown to be "totally inadequate" and cruel. Muzzling was introduced in 1993 after Mr Gregory's Private Member's Bill to outlaw live hare coursing was defeated.

Mr Gregory said muzzling had not prevented hares dying from fright. The Government should "show some humanity and bring Ireland into the 21st century with dignity by showing due welfare to animals", he said.

The council held a press conference yesterday at which it showed a 20 minute video which it says was filmed secretly at two live hare coursing events in Co Westmeath and Co Roscommon last December.

The video shows greyhounds wearing muzzles chasing hares and pinning them to the ground in an attempt to catch them.

"We now can show that muzzles are not saving hares, as the Government promised," said Ms Aideen Yourell, a council member who was involved in the filming. "I hope with the evidence we have the politicians will do the right thing, because this is inherently cruel from beginning, to end. The animals should be left alone in the wild."

According to Ms Yourell, about loo live hare coursing meetings take place during the October to February season.

The council wants live hare coursing to be replaced by drag coursing, in which scent is used as a lure.

Copies of the council's video will be handed in to the Department of Agriculture, which regulates the sport, and the Department of Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht.

The chief executive of the Irish Coursing Club, Mr Jerry Desmond, said he had not seen the video. Mr Desmond said no hares had been killed during the three day national coursing meeting which ended in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, yesterday.