Gormley grants limited licence for Meath stag hunt

The Minister for the Environment John Gormley has issued a limited licence for a controversial stag hunt in Co Meath.

The Ward Union Hunt is the only one in the country involved in carted stag hunting, where a farmed stag is released to be chased by hounds and hunters.

Mr Gormley announced today that he has decided to renew the hunt's licence for a year, but only on condition that the stag be recaptured after laying a scent trail, before the hounds are released and before the hunt gets underway.

The hunt was at the centre of controversy last January when a stag being chased by hounds ran into a school playground as children were waiting to be collected by their parents.