I know the missing lad fairly well. This is heartbreaking stuff. His house is only a couple of hundred yards from there.
Outoftheshadow yes. Oaks - less clear, Silent bitch will frighten it, or the Barefoot bitch that won in Galbally. She clocked the same as Bexhill Anna in NCW
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Great letter in the Cork Examiner today about the scummy hare coursing set.
Make Island off limits to hare men
Irish Examiner, 5th January 2018
Coursing clubs will go anywhere, any time in the winter season to find hares for their so-called “sporting” fixtures. But do they have to encroach on the scenic beauty of our off shore and inland islands?
Island Eddy in Galway Bay gets a visit each year, its idyllic and peaceful hills and fields raided for the fleet-footed runners. Hog Island off the Clare Coast likewise. Rathlin has been spared the attention of the hare catchers in recent years after islanders literally chased away the net-men a decade ago in a dramatic display of community spirit.
Unfortunately, the hares of another little scenic gem lacked such a protective shield. Oyster Island is a long thin land mass that nestles between the headlands of Rosses Point and Strandhill in County Sligo. It is renowned for its old lighthouse and attractive cottages. On January 2nd this year, hare catchers were seen by locals scouring the island in search of bait for an upcoming coursing fixture. Every year their appearance provokes some level of unease among people who object to hare coursing.
This year, however, the coursers managed to offend almost the entire community at Rosses Point. A search was in progress for a missing person when the hare catchers arrived. Almost every adult and young person in the locality; backed by volunteers from nearby villages, were out searching and many of them couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the net-men. Some posted messages on facebook denouncing the hare catchers, who were heard shouting and swearing as they fanned out across the island. When asked to show respect for the situation they refused to listen and kept up their loud hollering, a practice aimed at frightening hares into nets.
Apart from the insensitive nature of the Oyster Island incident, is it not time that our beautiful islands were declared off-limits to coursing clubs? It’s bad enough that they can, thanks to a State license, snatch hares from fields, forests and mountainsides nationwide. I hope that hare coursing will itself someday become a crime. In the meantime there should at least be some parts of the national territory where hares can find refuge and protection so that they can live out their short humble lives in peace.
I saw a picture of somebody at a coursing meeting that i would never in a million years have suspected of supporting it, more of the Greenpeace sort.
Strikes me as an odd pastime but no more than any activity that exists for gambling.
I’m ashamed to say I’ve coursing blood in my family, but thankfully it’s only extended to the west Limerick side who I don’t really know.
My Tipp ancestors were too busy farming and hurling to be indulging in what frankly is a very fucking weird pasttime
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By any chance you wouldn’t know who wrote that?
I have his name and his address, but I won’t be sharing it with you as I don’t like the threatening tone of the question.
It wouldn’t be that fool from Kilkenny would it?
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No clues!
I’m disappointed with this.
Would be more in his line to write to the club in question and call them a shower of cunts.
Coursing not big in our area. More something that big blueshirt farmers were into
His litter brother might have something to say about it now!!
Mmm, maybe. He’s a good dog alright, I think he will have to find a couple of lengths to beat the shadow dog though.
Broke up… tis a tough weekend on man and hound!
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It is… The silent Dog was awesome though. Rare enough that a derby winner goes through season unbeaten…
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