Irish hare is thrown lifeline
I am delighted to learn that Environment Minister John Gormley has moved to protect Ireland's hare population during the month of March -- part of the sensitive breeding season.
In previous years the country's 22 registered beagling clubs, not content with five full months of organised bloodletting, requested and received government approval to pursue their obsessive killing of hares into March.
This meant that breeding females could be legally baited in that month.
Some day, hopefully, the Irish hare will be protected from all forms of cruelty, the whole year round; but Mr Gormley's initiative represents an important milestone along the road to abolition.
John Fitzgerald
CALLAN, CO KILKENNY
