Cruelty of hare coursing ramped up at Christmas

Christmas is less than a month away and, as always at this time of year, Ireland’s hare population is being harassed to the nth degree by coursing clubs whose idea of fun is to set up these gentle creatures as bait for pairs of hyped-up greyhounds.

I have seen these so-called ‘sportspeople’ in action in recent days. Fans cheered or marked their cards as the hares swerved and dodged in desperation to avoid their pursuers. They ran through wind-swept and water-logged fields, splashing their way in all directions as the muzzled but deeply frustrated and aggressive dogs sought to catch them.

Unable to sink their teeth into the soft brown fur, the hounds had to be content with forcibly striking the hares, pinning them to the soggy ground, mauling them, or tossing them into the air like broken toys.