Sir, – Conservationists have naturally welcomed the release of four white-tailed eagle chicks into the wild at Killarney National Park as part of a project to re-introduce this magnificent species back into our country after an absence of almost two centuries.
But for many of us, the event is overshadowed by the issuing, just a few days earlier, of a State licence permitting a new hare coursing season in the autumn.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin was among those present for the long-awaited release of the eagle chicks and he reminded us that the bird is an intrinsic part of our heritage and biodiversity.
I agree 100 per cent with him on that, but the Irish hare is also a jewel in the crown of our biodiversity. One of our few truly native species, it dates back to before the Ice Age of 10,000 years ago. It has also long been part of our Celtic heritage, revered in song and folklore; apart from being a masterpiece of creation and the gentlest creature in the Irish countryside.
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What a strange message to be sending out at a time when so many species, here and abroad, are being pushed to the point of extinction: releasing four members of one protected species, while giving the go-ahead for the snatching of thousands of our supposedly protected hares so that dogs can be set on them.
In the first first week of October, will one of those eagles fly gracefully over a coursing field where a hare is running for its life… twisting, turning and dodging down below to avoid getting mauled or having its bone crushed?
Why did the Government even bother having a Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss if it’s going to allow such a shameful attack on a mammal that’s been in decline for the past half-century due to habitat loss?
The hare deserves better than to be at the butt-end of this “sport”. – Yours, etc,
JOHN FITZGERALD,
Callan,
Co Kilkenny.