Anti-hunt lobby lose by landslide in the polls

YOUR report on the foxhunting opinion poll (Irish Examiner, April 9) was most interesting.

It reminded me of the Mark Twain adage about ‘lies, damned lies and statistics.’

Since her appointment as Northern Ireland campaign manager for the so-called League against Cruel Sports, Fiona Smith has, in the long tradition of that organisation, bombarded the media with press releases couched in emotive language and soundbites about hunting. Words such as ‘barbaric’, ‘inhumane’ and ‘bloodthirsty’ pepper her press releases and are as misleading as they are almost comically inappropriate.

It is hardly surprising that if someone who knows nothing about hunting and cares less is asked for an opinion, the response is likely to be, “Oh I don’t know much about it, but it doesn’t sound very nice”. The result of the poll taken in the North and commissioned by the League against Cruel Sports almost beggars belief as it is totally at variance with polls held in the South.

Recently 96FM in Cork commissioned a tele poll which showed over 12,000 voters supporting hunting and a derisory 147 votes against. This is very much in line with two other polls commissioned by Sky and TV3. These independent polls showed over 75% of respondents in favour of hunting.

These results would be classed as a landslide in political terms.

In recent years representatives of various hunting bodies rose to the challenge of public debate at our principal universities and decisively won every one of them, despite the animal rights’ lobby fielding such heavy hitters as Trevor Sargent and Dan Boyle. Last February a debate at UCG, in which I took part, was won by a majority of more than 10 to one.

I believe that for the vast majority of the Irish people hunting comes well down their list of concerns, certainly far behind our health service, social welfare system or even global warming. Among the rural community hunting enjoys a great deal of support. Indeed were it not for the generous support of farmers in allowing the hunts to cross their land, it could not continue.

Anyone who has a moral problem with hunting, or is just curious about it, could speak to any one of the 300,000 ordinary Irish people of all ages who regularly hunt and consider their views before accepting Fiona Smith’s propaganda.

Dickie Power

Secretary

Hunting Association of Ireland

Friarstown Lodge

Grange

Kilmallock

Co Limerick