Stag hunting ‘ban’ as Gormley to refuse club licence
Green Environment Minister John Gormley is poised to refuse a licence for the Ward Union Hunt, which provoked outrage last January when it chased a stag into a Meath school playground as horrified children looked on.
The move, a de facto ban on the blood sport for the first time in Ireland, could come as early as today and is almost certain to provoke a legal challenge. However, it is understood Mr Gormley believes the school mayhem gives him sufficient grounds to act.
