A Cork town “got an early Christmas present” with the news their park is now free of “cruel” hare coursing.
Residents of Millstreet held a protest last year when their local hare coursing group took over the public amenity for six weeks in December and January.
Hare coursing is when greyhounds are set off after live hares captured from the wild, leaving some maimed or dead despite their ‘protected’ status.
A spokesperson for Millstreet town said: "Having our town park open for December is like a Christmas miracle. It will be fantastic to be able to walk in the park over the holiday period.
"Not having access to the park for six weeks in the year, due to the hare coursing, was a huge disadvantage.
"Many residents take their daily walk in the park, and parents take their children to school via the park."
Ireland is the only part of the British Isles where hare coursing remains legal.
But many in the country are opposed to hare coursing with a 2019 RED C poll finding 77% agree it should be banned.
We understand that Millstreet residents had been denied use of their park by the local coursing club, which kept the hares captive in a compound on the grounds since the 50s.
Aideen Yourell from Irish Council Against Blood Sport told us: “I’ve been down to coursing meetings there - I’ve observed them.
“It has been rumbling along for a number of years because people have been complaining.
“They got going and started protesting.”
Aideen said the townsfolk held their protest early in January last year and that it was ”really well attended” but she thinks a feature on Joe Duffy’s RTÉ Liveline radio show was “what clinched it”.
“They talked about how they were locked out of the park every December for six weeks while these coursers took it over,” she added.
“I know the people are delighted to have their town park back, especially around Christmas time.”
It is understood Millstreet hare coursing club has now moved to another location in Cork.
A note on the Irish Hare Coursing fixtures list says Millstreet is coursing in Enniscorthy on January 6 and 7.
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