Irish Coursing Club refused to free hares following lockdown

Coursing body defied several government requests to release 1,200 animals from captivity back into the wild

The Irish Coursing Club defied a series of government requests to release 1,200 hares it had captured ahead of the last Covid-19 lockdown.

The Irish Coursing Club defied a series of government requests to release 1,200 hares it had captured ahead of the last Covid-19 lockdown before eventually backing down, new documents show.

All coursing events were suspended when the government announced the level 5 lockdown on October 21. Less than a week later, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) wrote to the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) requesting that any hares it had captured should be released.