New footage proves Irish hare coursing as cruel as ever!

A spectator at the recent "Irish Cup" hare coursing event, held on Limerick racecourse last Saturday, decided to film part of the fixture for later viewing ...but he found himself unexpectedly upset at the plight of the hares and passed on this piece of footage (see below) to animal protection groups.

It shows a hare being struck at high speed by the dogs and sent tumbling head over heels three times from the force of the impact. Coursing fans are audibly cheering the action though one person can be heard saying "ah Jaysus."

Hares struck or mauled in this way in coursing usually die afterwards of their injuries or are "dispatched" (have their necks broken) to put them out of their misery.

This happens at many coursing events and is referred to in reports professionally filed by rangers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), who attend a number of fixtures each season in a monitoring capacity.

However, because there is a strict ban on "unauthorised photography" at ALL coursing events it is extremely difficult to obtain footage of what happens to hares used in this archaic "rural pastime" that is banned in many jurisdictions, including Northern Ireland.

This footage from a so-called "showpiece" coursing fixture can be cited as further evidence that muzzling of greyhounds has NOT eliminated cruelty from the practice.

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