Gardaí in Killarney, Co. Kerry are investigating an incident which took place last Saturday in which a horse was left injured after a sulky race.  The race took place on the main Killarney to Fossa and it is believed it involved three horses. The injured horse was taken into care by a local animal welfare group.

Gardaí has appealed to the general public who has information about this incident or has dash cam footage of the incident to contact them at Killarney Garda Station, 064 667 1160.
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The Irish Council Against Blood Sports (ICABS) is reporting that an annual coach service to the hare coursing cruelty festival in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, has been scrapped.

ICABS had appealed to Callinan Coaches, the new owners of Dublin Coach, to drop this service and to disassociate the ‘Dublin Coach’ brand from the cruel bloodsport of hare coursing. Under its previous ownership, Dublin Coach not only ferried bloodsport fans to the hare coursing finals in Clonmel’s Powerstown Park racecourse but also sponsored the event.

A notice on the Irish Coursing Club website said, “The usual coursing bus (Dublin Coach) will not be running this year”.

A RED C opinion poll found that a 77% majority want the Irish government to ban hare coursing (with just 9% disagreeing with a ban). Hare coursing is already outlawed in all our neighbouring jurisdictions, including Northern Ireland.
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Calf slaughter figures (2025) show just under 3,400 calves were slaughtered at Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-approved factories. This figure represent a reduction of 17,500 calves being slaughtered at DAFM-approved factories since last year. In 2024, just under 21,000 calves were slaughtered, while in 2023 saw 31,000 calves being killed.

DAFM classifies calf slaughter numbers under Category V and Category Z.

Category V refers to bovines slaughtered from the day of birth until the day they reach eight months-of-age. 3,385 calves were slaughter under this classification. Category Z veal includes meat from cattle aged 8-12 months-of-age. 2,421 cattle were slaughtered in this category in 2025.

The reduction in the slaughter of calves within the first eight weeks of their birth is believed to be as a result of the work of Bord Bia (Irish Food Board). Bord Bia implemented a ban on the slaughter of healthy calves under eight weeks old for dairy farms in its Sustainable Dairy Assurance Scheme (SDAS) from January 1, 2024, making it a serious breach of standards, with penalties like temporary suspension for non-compliance. This move means that dairy farmers have to find alternative markets for young calves, while addressing calf welfare concerns and reducing early calf slaughter.
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A Limerick man, Adrian Hayes, of Marion Place, Janesboro, Limerick City, was fined €500 after he admitted to a number of bird trapping offences under the Wildlife Act.

At Limerick District Court, Mr Hayes faced a number of charges including possession of a live perching bird after he was found with “five wild goldfinches in a cage, three glue sticks concealed in a tube container, a holding box, and a trap” in his home.

Under existing wildlife legislation, it is illegal to sell, purchase, or possess a wild live perching bird. A tip-off by a member of the public to the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) lead to this successful prosecution.
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