Sir, – The killing of cat by a jeering youth with a sub-machine gun in the opening episode of the new Love/Hate TV series has understandably shocked animal lovers nationwide (Home News, October 8th). I believe this heartfelt revulsion is somewhat misplaced. I found the scene objectionable too, but I would place it in the context of a drama that focuses on gangland thugs who, in real life, would be far too busy peddling drugs and killing each other to be bothered about shooting cats.
What concerns me a lot more is that we are into the opening weeks of a new hare coursing season and that animals are being horribly ill-treated for fun by gangs of so-called sportspeople – people who enjoy watching hares being hounded within the confines of a park or wired enclosure. There will be no guards to trouble them as this barbarism is perfectly legal in Ireland.
Soon the driven pheasant shoots will commence. Ladies and gentlemen of leisure will walk almost shoulder to shoulder along pre-arranged venues, blasting away at semi-tame birds that in many instances will obligingly waddle up to them to be shot. The field sport aficionados will sip brandy, whiskey or liqueurs as the beautiful creatures fall from the sky or are picked off at point blank range, their proud crests and multicoloured plumage reduced to mutilated, bleeding clumps of feathers.
Despite the terror and the cruelty they unleash, both the driven shooters and the hare coursers claim to care deeply for the creatures they prey upon.
A love/hate relationship if ever there was one. – Yours, etc,
JOHN FITZGERALD,
(Campaign for the Abolition
of Cruel Sports),
Lower Coyne Street,
Callan, Co Kilkenny.