Bronze hares have a message for politicians

I VISITED Dublin the other day to view those much hyped monumental hare sculptures.

They are certainly eye-catching and I suspect they make a lot more sense to the average citizen than The Spire which, in the opinion of many, is just a crass and farcical eyesore.

But I hope the bronze masterpieces on display in our capital city can serve another purpose. Perhaps they might remind us that the animal so eloquently and ingeniously depicted by world-renowned artist Barry Flanagan is one of the most wronged and persecuted creatures on this island.

It’s a pity one of the sculptures wasn’t installed in front of the Dáil.

It might remind the politicians that every attempt to seek protection for the hares of Ireland has been rejected by our national parliament. The vote-conscious baby-kissers supported coursing every time.

They have repeatedly endorsed the wholesale abuse of our hare population by coursing clubs.

In the context of these unpleasant realities, I find the sculptures somewhat anomalous and disagreeable.

With the greatest respect to Barry Flanagan, I think his hares would be less out of place in a coursing-free Ireland.

John Fitzgerald

Lr Coyne Street

Callan

Co Kilkenny