Animal rights group urges racecourse to stop hosting hare coursing
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports has urged Limerick Racecourse to stop hosting an annual hare coursing meeting at its venue.
The JP McManus Irish Cup hare coursing meeting was held at the racecourse last weekend, and the Irish Council Against Blood Sports said the event witnessed "horrific scenes of hares being mauled and battered by muzzled greyhounds".
The ICABS said that during these sessions, the excitement of the crowd increased.
They said: "These people are totally de-sensitised to the suffering of the hare, having witnessed such scenes many times. Even small children were heard laughing and cheering as the horror unfolded."
In one instance, a hare can be heard crying out in pain as it is mauled.
The hare is then picked up, brought to the side of the course and put in a box. Another hare was similarly dumped in a box after being mauled by the dogs. The footage also shows a hare pinned to the ground close to the escape area - this creature finally managed to get away.
At last year's event, there were many banner adverts of household name companies - such as Guinness, Specsavers and Price Waterhouse Coopers - adorning the course.
The ICABS said they wrote to the advertisers, asking them to disassociate from the event, and they all responded, as there were no advertisements this year at the course.
The group has renewed their appeal to Limerick Racecourse to stop hosting the event.
