The People’s Letters Page

Here is this week’s People’s Letters Page…

Dear Editor

I’m writing to say I am in total agreement with President Michael D Higgins’s decision not to attend the function in Armagh to commemorate 100 years of Northern Ireland.

He is to be commended for his wisdom and foresight in not attending an event celebrating the partition of Ireland by a foreign country

Why should we in the Republic give any kind of respect and commemoration to a decision that created a cesspool of bigotry hatred and discrimination?

Partition is a crime against humanity that should never have happened and we have no place being at the table for any celebrations of this foul act against our people.

Our President’s role is apolitical, maybe the people criticising him for his decision should go back and read the Constitution.

The hypocrisy of many Unionist politicians in regard to this matter is also to be noted.

If the shoe was on the other foot, how many of them would gather in Dublin for a celebration to mark the anniversary of Irish reunification?

This whole ‘controversy’ is just another example of the DUP expressing their never ending victimhood.

It’s time we stopped listening to them.

I end with the words of the Pope when he greeted our President in Rome last week: “It’s not just the President today that has visited me, but a wise man has visited me. One of the wise men of today. I thank God that Ireland has such a wise man at its head.”

Yours Sincerely

Michael Delaney,

Swords

Dear Editor.

With hare coursing due to re-commence at the end of this month, its apologists are claiming that it helps to “conserve the species” and that the “sportspeople” are monitoring the welfare of the hare population.

I would point out that coursing clubs capture hares for one specific purpose: to set dogs on them.

While the aim is to course, rather than kill, the animals, they suffer immense distress while confined for up to three weeks in unnatural captivity and despite the muzzling of greyhounds hares can sustain injury or death on the coursing field.

And hares can die even post-coursing of stress-related ailments brought on by the whole ordeal of captivity and the contrived chase within a wired enclosure in front of cheering fans.

That’s why hare coursing has been banned in so many other jurisdictions, including Northern Ireland.

From an animal welfare standpoint, it is completely indefensible. I’ve heard coursing clubs plead over the years that “we love the hare.”

A hare that is mauled, forcibly struck, has its bones crushed, or is tossed up into the air like a rag doll might beg to differ.

A coursing club might well be anxious to ensure a plentiful supply of hares for the “sport.” Prior to its abolition in Britain in 1835 bear baiting was also held to be an aid to conservation, with advocates claiming that the “pastime” contributed to a robust and healthy bear population.

The people involved were deemed conservationists because they had a special interest in finding enough bears to entertain in the pits.

The health and conservation status of the Irish Hare certainly needs to be monitored, but not by coursing clubs.

We need a complete ban on coursing to protect the hare from recreational cruelty and an all-Ireland action plan to safeguard the future of this iconic species, one of our truly native mammals and a flagship of Irish biodiversity.

Thanking you,

John Fitzgerald

Dear Editor,

Re. ‘Ban on hare coursing’, Southside People 8/9/2021

I agree with John Fitzgerald. Hare coursing is medieval, barbaric and totally inappropriate as a sport. The Nordic countries have lead the way in banning coursing many years ago

This week there were horrific stories of young men beating a puppy to death and of a young horse who died following a beating.

While these offences are inexcusable and reflect an inability to understand that animals feel pain, just like humans, it is important to set standards.

How can young people be trained in animal welfare when hare coursing is allowed in Ireland?

The Government must take responsibility and refuse to issue licences for hare coursing, with severe penalties issued for anyone who initiates or persists in its practice.
Yours sincerely

Teresa Mitchell,

Arklow,

Co Wicklow

Dear Editor,
Our Janus-faced government prioritises canine gambling over air ambulances.

The Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR), based in north Cork is an air ambulance that provides a vital lifesaving service bringing advanced paramedics from the National Ambulance Service to the roadside, farm or home within minutes of an incident.

Most critically, the air ambulance can then bring the casualty to the hospital that best suits their life saving needs, not just the closest geographically.

One would expect that this vital aviation healthcare service, which was launched in 2019, would be in receipt of statutory government funding.

However, this version of the ‘Flying Doctor’ service receives no government funding. The ICRR relies on fundraising efforts of its dedicated supporters to finance its operational costs.

The rattle of a collection tin is all that keeps the rotors of an ICCR medical helicopter spinning.

As for the Irish greyhound industry, which is a classic misnaming as it does not produce anything worthwhile but instead animal abuse, death, doped greyhounds and dodgy gambling activity roll off its production line, well, it won’t have to rely on spare euro change.

Since 2001 over a quarter of a billion of taxpayer’s money has flowed into this industry.
In 2021, €19.2m was allocated by the government to keep greyhound racing and live hare coursing in existence.

In a country where a government funds industries that are circling the drain, can it be a surprise that those entrusted to spend taxpayers’ money lack the financial nous to decide the allocation based on real need than sectorial interest.

Canine gambling over medical helicopters is a governmental choice that desecrates the memory, legacy and ethos of Rev. John Flynn, the founder of the Australian ‘Flying Doctor Service’.

Yours,

John Tierney

Campaigns Director,

Association of Hunt Saboteurs