Sir, – John Fitzgerald (April 7th) calls on the Government to remove the exemption of hare coursing from the proposed Animal Health and Welfare Bill.
Wild animals live hard lives filled with danger and usually end with a painful death. Whether coursing causes more or less pain to the animal than it would experience if left alone by man, I cannot say. Nevertheless, hare coursing has a very long historical tradition in Ireland. Its practice, albeit by a minority, must therefore be considered one of the traditional liberties of Irish people.
A Republic is supposed to value, protect and preserve its citizens’ liberties.
Mr Fitzgerald’s call for prohibition is an example of Ireland’s deterioration from a Republic to becoming a mere democracy where the liberties of unfavoured minorities are bullied and ultimately quashed by majoritarian tyranny.
If we are to live up to Republican ideals, then as a traditional liberty, for those who wish the practice of hare coursing ended, the correct method to achieve this end is through engagement with its practitioners and persuasion, not compulsion and State coercion. – Yours, etc,