Irish coursing club has gardai visit.

tipperary | animal rights | news report Thursday September 10, 2009 20:24 by Bernie Wright - Association of Hunt Saboteurs berniew at esatclear dot ie PO box 4734. D1.

ICC members discuss delay in lisence and alledged money queries.

An allegation that the offices of the Sporting Press in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, which describes itself as the “official organ of the Irish Coursing Club (ICC), has been raided within the past few days by the Garda Fraud Squad has been leaked by Coursing supporters. This allegation is contained on an Internet chat forum called the “Greyhound Knowledge Forum”.

In the course of an exchange of views and comments by forum members, mainly in relation to Minister John Gormley’s upcoming decision on whether to grant a hare-netting license to the ICC, a person calling himself “Vinny Grennan” refers specifically to the presence of the Fraud Squad in the Sporting Press offices in Clonmel.

ban hare coursing

Another forum member, “Den Morrin” acknowledges that an investigation is underway, as does a “Michael Eustace”.

If these allegations are indeed true, and the ICC is being investigated for fraud, then we would emphasise again our appeal to Environment Minister Gormley not to grant a license this year to the ICC allowing another coursing season to proceed.

The Green Party justly prides itself on its upholding of ethical standards in politics and public life, and we suggest that to engage in “business as usual” with the ICC right now if these allegations are true (apart altogether from the animal cruelty factor) would be an absolute scandal and a denial of everything the Greens stand for as a political force in Ireland.