By Sinead Fitzgerald

This coming Thursday, June 30, Dáil members will vote on a bill tabled by Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan to ban Hare Coursing in Ireland. It has been 23 years since the last vote on the subject. It was last introduced as a Private Member’s Bill by the TD Tony Gregory, but did not pass. Hare coursing is the practice of trapping and taking hares from their natural habitat to be used for a sport in which they are chased and caught by greyhounds which must be muzzled according to regulations. But in her argument for the passing of the bill, Ms O’Sullivan stated, “Though muzzled, the dogs can maul the animals, or strike them at high speed, inflicting agonising injuries. Hares have their bones broken as the dogs crush their bodies or toss them into the air like rag dolls.”

Many well known names have come out in support of ending this practice, including Queen’s Brian May, actresses Rachel Pilkington and Pauline McLynn and singer and presenter Linda Martin. “I truly believe if this went to a public vote, the decent Irish public vote, the decent Irish public would vote against it,” stated Linda Martin. Ireland is one of just three countries in the EU, along with Spain and Portugal, that allows the blood sport. Heather Humphries, as Minister for Arts and Heritage, is responsible for enforcing regulations. Those who are campaigning in favour of the ban are encouraging the people of Wicklow to contact their local TDs to request that they support the banning of Hare Coursing.