The History of Ireland's Anti-Bloodsports Campaign

[MikeM55]

Anyone read Bad Hare Days by John Fitzgerald? It's part memoir and partly a history of the campaign against bloodsports in Ireland. It's worth a read. The author recounts how and why he became involved in the campaign after witnessing scenes of cruelty in a field where coursing club members were capturing hares for an upcoming baiting event.

He was 14 at the time and observed the "netmen" from the ruin of an old church. One of the men caught an injured hare that had become entangled in the net and smashed the animal repeatedly against the wall of the church ruin.

Fitzgerald later joined the anti-bloodsports campaign, and quickly discovered that opposing bloodsports carried a price tag. He was subjected to severe bullying in the workplace and sacked from his job with a Farmer's Co-op. And when militants (every campaign has them...there was the Rossport drama the other day) sabotaged coursing venues and released hares, Fitzgerald and others were blamed, wrongly according to him, and dozens of campaigners in counties Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Clare and Tipperary were "lifted" under the Offences Against the State Act.

He makes a good case I think for abolishing bloodsports, especially the more cruel ones like hare coursing and fox hunting and the book itself is well-written. I detest bloodsports myself so I'm biased in that sense. The writing style is journalistic, not surprisingly since the author is a freelance journalist.

I know a fair few hunting enthusiasts reading this post will scoff, but I suggest they actually read the book if they propose to comment on it!

[Thranduil]

I read recently that groups are importing non indigenous animals to this country for the purpose of hunting them. I think the loose or non-existent regulation governing such practices as exist against animals in this country are insufficient for a Western country, from badger baiting, fox hunting to fur farming, factory farming and hanging greyhounds when they are of no further use.

How we treat animals is one of the barometers of how civilised a society really is, our leaders are always going on about making the country more modern, bringing in this legislation (governing pub smoking or bringing the country up to Euro standards in terms of gay rights etc) or that - now is a good time to apply this principle to standards of animal welfare, have to take on well-connected special interest groups first however - so don't hold your breath.

[MikeM55]

Thank you Thranduill...I wonder what exactly the new Animal Welfare bill currently being drafted will come up with.

I understand it won't touch hare coursing or fox hunting and that's no surprise. Fianna Fail is heavily into bloodsports, especially hare coursing and An Taoiseach personally believes hare coursing is a great traditional sport.

It's not a perfect world and we can never have complete for animals from cruelty, but we can surely try to make life a little less unbearable for them. Last Halloween there were more of those cases of youngsters throwing cats into bonfires. I cannot fathom what makes anyone want to do that.

Shooting is different. I wouldn't be into shooting, but at least if a bird or an animal is shot by a marksman it dies instantly, though of course with some of the "driven shoots" many wounded birds are left to die of their injuries.

Also, I have to laugh when the pro-bloodsports lobby claim they are "controlling pests"...In fact fox hunts introduce more fox cubs into areas where they've become scarce to ensure continued good hunting...and coursing clubs don't need to engage in pest control at all, as the Irish Hare is now officially an endangered species.

Pheasants are in many cases specifically bred to be shot. They certainly aren't pests. One could go on...!