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APRIL 2009
Published by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports. For campaign news, updates andmore action alerts, please visit our website atwww.banbloodsports.com
Deer hunted for two and a half hours and captured in river 
One of the deer terrorised by the Ward Union last season was chased for two and a half hoursbefore being captured in a river. The disturbing revelations appear in a document obtained byICABS under the Freedom of Information Act.
The deer's cross-country ordeal began just after midday on a hunt which took place on 14th November last. The animal emerged fromthe hunt's trailer, ran to the bottom of a field of stubble and jumped a ditch.According to a report made by a vet who was monitoring the hunt, the stag "was seen along the Macetown to Edoxtown road for afew minutes by a telephone post, then moved on south east. The stag crossed the Edoxtown to Rathfeigh road, went north of Rathfeigh Old Bridge and took shelter with sheep at Loughanstown." The stag was seen moving around the sheep for 15 minutes, hesaid, and at this point an attempt was made by the hunt to capture the deer.The animal moved away fast, the report outlines, adding that it travelled through Bellew and Burtonstown before "probably" going into a wood.Later on during the hunt, the deer was again spotted sheltering among sheep. We are told that the animal was "recaptured in the river at Burtonstown at 14.40".A post-hunt "examination" was carried out by the vet at the side of the Kentstown-Navan road thirteen minutes later. Incredibly, theonly comment made about the condition of the deer - which had been hunted for a full two and a half hours and dragged from a river -was that it "appeared to be unharmed".ICABS monitors present on the day witnessed the stag jumping onto a road from a gateway at a point where about twenty huntfollowers were standing around. The deer looked terrified and nervous as it crossed the road between the mob and went into a fieldopposite.We have renewed our appeal to Minister John Gormley to stop licensing this hunt.
URGENT ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER
Minister John GormleyDepartment of the EnvironmentCustom House, Dublin 1.Email: minister@environ.ieTel: 01 888 2403. Fax: 01 878 8640.Dear Minister Gormley:I was horrified to learn that one of the deer terrorised by the Ward Union last season was chased for two and a half hours and ended upin a river where it was finally captured.I urge you to fulfil the Green Party's pre-election promise to ban blood sports and refuse future licences to the Ward Union.Thank you. I look forward to your reply.[ Your Name and Location ]
 
Ranger narrowly avoids killing Ward Union deer 
 
A National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger has reported that he was forced to "brake hard"to avoid a fatal collision with a Ward Union deer. The ranger who was monitoring the hunt lastseason (25 November 2008) said he "narrowly avoided killing" the animal. ICABS has renewedits appeal to Green Party Environment Minister, John Gormley, to refuse future licences in theinterests of both animal welfare and public safety.
These latest revelations about another near-miss incident surfaced in NPWS documents obtained by the Irish Council Against BloodSports this week under the Freedom of Information Act.In a letter to Minister Gormley, we stated that deer being chased on to public roads pose a very serious risk to motorists. We haveurged the Minister to refuse future licence applications from the hunt before a member of the public is injured or killed during a hunt.While monitoring the same hunt in the past, members of the Irish Council Against Blood Sports had to take evasive action to avoidcrashing into a deer which was being chased around a corner into oncoming traffic. Only by braking hard, as the NPWS ranger wasforced to do, were we able to avoid a collision with the terrified animal.
URGENT ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER
Minister John GormleyDepartment of the EnvironmentCustom House, Dublin 1.Email: minister@environ.ieTel: 01 888 2403. Fax: 01 878 8640.Dear Minister Gormley:I was horrified to learn that a representative of your NPWS department was forced to "brake hard" to avoid hitting and killing a deer that was chased on to the road during a Ward Union deer hunt. Such a collision would have resulted in even greater suffering for thedeer terrorised by this hunt and could also have led to the serious injury of a member of your own staff.I urge you to refuse future licences to the Ward Union, on the grounds of both animal welfare and public safety. Another reason for you to stop licensing this blood sport is that it is contrary to the Green Party's animal welfare policies and your party's pre-election promise to 'introduce legislation to end blood sports'.Please honour this promise for the animals and for the motorists in Meath and North County Dublin who are being exposed to potential danger.Thank you. I look forward to your reply.[*** Insert Your Name and Location Here ***]
HSE hospital prevents swallows from accessing nest
The swallows that reach Ireland every spring have completed an epic journey. During their 9,500 km flight from South Africa, they travel over three desserts, across the MeditteraneanSea and through showers of bullets from heartless hunters in Southern Europe. Millions diealong the way but those who successfully reach our shores in March and April are welcomedas a harbinger of summer and believed to bring good luck to wherever they nest.
Swallows that touched down in Mullingar this month, however, found that they were wholly unwelcome. A nest constructed by the birds in a HSE hospital building has been totally covered by a net. The swallows, seen flying in an agitated state around the groundsof the hospital, have been prevented from accessing their nest.Citing "health and safety", a spokesperson for the hospital told ICABS that the net over the nest would remain in place. A photoshowing the net around the nest (which is in a non-patient area) can be seen on the ICABS website
 
ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER
Ann Masterson, Administrator St. Loman's HospitalDelvin Road, Mullingar Co. Westmeath, IrelandEmail: ann.masterson@hse.ie;info@hse.ieTel: 044 9384314Dear Ms Masterson,I was saddened to learn that your hospital has prevented swallows from accessing their nest at the Lough Sheever Centre at StLoman's Hospital in Mullingar.These birds have completed an epic journey of 9,500 km from South Africa, travelling over three deserts, across the MediterraneanSea and through showers of bullets from heartless hunters in Southern Europe. Their feat is one of the greatest in nature and theydeserve respect and admiration - not a net across their nest.I understand that "health and safety" concerns are being cited as the reason for the net. Perhaps St Loman's would consider showingkindness towards the birds and adopt a more humane approach. If bird droppings are a problem, newspapers could be placed on theground. Alternatively, a simple wooden platform could be constructed below the nest to catch the droppings. Rubber-backed, non-slipmats could also be placed in the small area where the nest is located.I hope that you can show compassion and act swiftly to have the net removed and allow the birds back in to their nest.Thank you. I look forward to your reply.Yours sincerely,[ Your Name and Location ]
Ask Irish MEPs to vote for Canada's seals
(Source: Animal Rights Action Network - www.aran.ie)
A major victory for Canadian seals could be just weeks away if MEPs support a proposed EUtrade ban on seal products.
Please ask all of Ireland's MEPs to vote in favour of this ban which would prevent countries like Canada from selling seal skins inEurope.Canada's barbaric killing of thousands of defenceless seals each year is the largest slaughter of marine mammals in the world and has prompted many to boycott the country and its products.URGENT ACTION ALERT - SAMPLE LETTER Email your message to all Irish MEPs: liam.aylward@europarl.europa.eu;colm.burke@europarl.europa.eu;briancrowleymep@eircom.net;proinsias.derossa@europarl.europa.eu;avril.doyle@europarl.europa.eu;marian.harkin@europarl.europa.eu;jim.higgins@europarl.europa.eu;marylou.mcdonald@europarl.eur opa.eu;mairead.mcguinness@europarl.europa.eu;gay.mitchell@europarl.europa.eu;sean.oneachtain@europarl.europa.eu;eoin.ryan@europarl.europa.eu;kathy.sinnott@europarl.europa.euDear MEP,I find Canada's annual slaughter of seals to be an horrific, cruel and unacceptable assault against defenceless creatures.I urge you to show compassion on May 5th and help save seals from this brutality.Please vote in favour of an EU trade ban on seal products.Thank you.[Your name and Location]
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