The two dogs referred to in court were among a total of six found dumped in a disused County Limerick quarry in April last year, all of which had been shot to death.

This case underlines the squalid nature of hare coursing, despite the best efforts of blood sport apologists to persuade the public that it's a delightful family pastime.

Only a few weeks ago, Dail Deputies (members of Ireland’s parliament) Maureen O’ Sullivan and Clare Daly sought to have hare coursing banned via an amendment to the Animal Health and Welfare Bill. That attempted failed when the party whips forced even longtime opponents of the blood sport to support the cruel practice.

Not only is hare coursing cruel to hares (the animals are violently netted in the countryside, mauled, battered, pinned down, and tossed about by the dogs) but it is also cruel to the greyhounds.

A greyhound that refuses to chase a hare is deemed worthless by the so-called “sportspeople” who comprise this atrocious industry. The dog is taken out and beaten to death with shovels or shot, and then dumped.

We hope that TDs (Irish parliamentarians) will back the next legislative challenge to hare coursing via a Private Members Bill and that the government will at last accept that this foul and inhuman practice should be banned completely in the Republic, as it is in many jurisdictions, including Britain and Northern Ireland.

• link to one of the many media reports on the court case re shot greyhounds:  http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/greyhounds-shot-in-head-and-dumped-in-quarry-29223130.html


• Scenes filmed by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports at the “Irish Cup” live hare coursing event last February:

1) Hare severely mauled and carried off field
 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy21v5_hare-severely-mauled-and-carried-off-field_animals

2)
Hare cries out when hit and mauled
 http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xy21zl_hare-cries-out-when-hit-and-mauled_animals