Westmeath coursing club in court on serious charges

One of Ireland's largest and most influential coursing clubs will today (June 8th) face charges that it captured hares out of season illegally.

One of Ireland's largest and most influential coursing clubs will today (June 8th) face charges that it captured hares out of season illegally.

Westmeath United Coursing Club in County Westmeath has for decades been looked up to by the other hare baiting gangs around the country that participate in the cruel abuse of hares for entertainment.

Today, at Killucan District Court, County Westmeath, wildlife rangers will give evidence that hares were found on the club's official grounds at a time of year when it was not legally entitled to have possession of the animals.

If convicted of breaches of the 1976 Wildlife Act, the club may face tough sanctions. CACS hope that the club is censured, and permanently put out of business. Ultimately, we would like to see all hare coursing outlawed.

The Irish Coursing Club, to which all coursing clubs are affiliated, will be severely embarrassed if, as expected, this case goes against the “showpiece” Westmeath United club. A conviction would greatly strengthen the case for an outright ban on hare coursing.

Apart from being a cruel sport, coursing also threatens the hare population from a conservation point of view…fare too many hares are being netted nationwide for the coursing game. In Northern Ireland, hare scarcity has led to a total suspension of coursing activities.

Hares are scarce in the Republic also, and both the Parks and Wildlife Service and the Red Data Book on Irish flora and fauna now classify the Irish hare as an endangered species. Widespread netting of hares by coursing clubs is contributing directly to the hare's local disappearance in many parts of Ireland.