‘Barbaric and vile’: councillors call time on fox hunting

Fox hunting was roundly condemned by Fingal County councillors last week, with cross-party support for a motion that branded the bloodsport “barbaric”, “vile” and “appalling”.

At the council meeting on Monday, May 12, elected members voted to ban fox hunting on council-owned lands and pledged to urge other councils across the country to do the same.

The move is being seen as a significant step in building momentum toward a long-called-for national ban.

The motion was brought forward by Cllr Helen Redwood (Solidarity – People Before Profit) (pictured above), who gave an unflinching account of the cruelty involved.

“There is nothing quick about a hunt,” she said.

“There’s one report which I saw which talked about a five-hour chase.

“So this is a fox terrified for its life being chased to exhaustion across the land.

“Foxes can be chased by packs of 20 to 60 dogs, they’re ripped apart while they’re alive, disembowelled, dismembered,” she continued.

“I’ve seen videos showing foxes seeking refuge underground, only to be dug out and fed to dogs. It’s a barbaric activity that should be banned completely.”

The motion won widespread support from councillors across the political spectrum, including Fine Gael, Labour, the Social Democrats, the Green Party, and Independents.

Cllr Aoibhinn Tormey (Fine Gael) described fox hunting as “incredibly sick and disturbing”, saying, “We need to be standing up to animal cruelty wherever we can.”

Cllr John Burtchaell (People Before Profit) went further, saying bloodsports in general, including hare coursing, have no place in any civilised society.

“We should be looking at means to put an end to it in the county, so for example stopping hunts using public roads through by-laws or whatever mechanism we can to harass them out of business,” he said.

“It’s just an appalling thing to do to a wild animal.”

Independent councillor Darren Jack Kelly also lent his support.

“I really strongly agree with this motion,” he said. “There’s a sort of a percentage of people that want to hunt animals – it is just mind boggling to me… It’s horrific.”

Labour councillors were also vocal in their support.

Cllr John Walsh called fox hunting “a vile practice”, adding: “It’s cruel and it has no place in our society.

“It’s just fundamentally wrong. The solution indeed is a national ban… It’s extraordinary that we’re still having to debate whether fox hunting is unacceptable in the 21st century.”

His party colleague Cllr Brendan Ryan questioned what enforcement powers the council holds if unpermitted hunts stray onto public lands.

Practical concerns were also raised about the impact of hunts on private landowners. Cllr Paul Mulville (Social Democrats) spoke about Fingal farmers having their farms disrupted, with fences broken and operations disturbed. “A national ban would be great to see, and I’m sure private landowners might appreciate it too,” he said.

Cllr David Healy (Green Party) encouraged the council to consider further measures, including examining the use of public roads by hunts.

He also supported the idea of circulating the motion to other local authorities around the country.

The motion passed by Fingal County Council includes a call to send the resolution to other councils in a bid to encourage them to adopt similar measures.

Cllr Redwood stressed the importance of collective action: “Imagine if all the councils in the country did that, that would be quite a huge step forward to actually getting a national ban,” she said.

A bill seeking to ban fox hunting nationwide is currently being drafted by Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger.

Councillors expressed hope that the growing local pressure will support its passage in the Dáil.

Despite growing pressure from animal welfare groups, fox hunting remains legal in the Republic of Ireland.

Organised hunts involving hounds and horses are a longstanding tradition in Ireland, particularly in counties like Meath, Kildare, Tipperary, and Wexford.

Advocates say it’s part of Ireland’s rural heritage.

Opponents argue it’s a cruel and outdated blood sport. Under current law, foxes are not a protected species.

The Wildlife Acts 1976 to 2012 set out rules for hunting, but do not prohibit hunting foxes with packs of hounds.

Section 25 of the Animal Health & Welfare Act 2013 allows for the establishment of codes of practice and for the adoption of codes published by other persons for the purposes of providing practical guidance relating to any aspect of the Act, including fox hunting.

There are no statutory regulations governing how hunts are carried out, and enforcement is minimal.

While some hunt groups follow voluntary codes of practice, these are not legally binding.

Efforts to introduce a ban have been made over the years, but none have passed through the Oireachtas.

Animal rights organisations such as the Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) and the ISPCA continue to campaign for legislative change, often focusing attention on high-profile events like St Stephen’s Day hunts.

A petition to ban fox hunting launched in late 2023 attracted thousands of signatures, but government response has been muted.

As it stands, no political party has committed to introducing a formal ban in the near future.

Supporters of hunting argue it helps manage fox populations and provides rural employment.

Critics reject those claims, saying there are more humane and effective ways to control wildlife.

While some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, have banned fox hunting with hounds, Ireland remains among the few where the practice continues, largely unchecked.