Anja Murray: Mad about March hares - and the case against coursing

Considerable opposition exists to hare coursing today — the idea of catching a wild animal and pitting it against a much larger, specially-bred pursuer, for human entertainment, is repulsive to many

Irish hares go a small bit whiter in winter, helping them blend in better with the landscape on frosty mornings and in snowy weather. Hares that live in the mountains are known to whiten their coats more so than lowland-dwelling hares

Hares are widespread across Ireland and are most at home in the uplands and among rough pasture. I’ve seen them on open grassland among the early morning dew, unaware of being observed; other times I’ve accidentally startled one when out walking in the hills. Upon sensing a ‘threat’ (in this case encroaching humans), hares tend to lie low in the hope of avoiding detection. But when the threat keeps coming nearer, they use their long, powerful limbs to bolt off through the heather at high speed. On open ground, a hare can run as fast as 30 or 40 km per hour.

Irish hares are not only native, they are an endemic species, meaning that they are genetically and physically distinct from the species that occurs in England, Scotland, Wales, and across Europe. Our Irish hares are a subspecies of the Arctic hare, having had 30,000 years of isolation to develop unique traits. Arctic hares develop a white coat in winter, European hares do not. Irish hares go just a small bit whiter in winter, helping them blend in better with the landscape on frosty mornings and in snowy weather. Hares that live in the mountains are known to whiten their coats more so than lowland-dwelling hares.