ANIMAL NEWS IRELAND

Ban foxhunting that was the message from actress Pauline McLynn of Fr Ted fame who was speaking at an anti-foxhunting protest outside the Dáil yesterday.

Rural Ireland Against Fox Hunting (RIAFH) organised the colourful event which drew a large attendance including representatives from anti-hunting organisations animal welfare groups, rural communities and farmers.

A number of protestors dressed up as Suffragettes in Edwardian costumes in a nod to the similar struggle to achieve change in society. Others wore fox masks, and one protester wore a traditional red fox-hunting blazer.

Addressing the crowd at the protest, Ms McLynn said that she, “cannot believe that in the 21st century, we’re still asking for a ban on fox hunting”. She went on to say, ““It just doesn’t make any sense that a very beautiful creature should be chased to within an inch of its life and then torn apart in the most excruciating death in the name of sport or even tradition.

“Just because something’s traditional, and the tiny tradition at that, doesn’t mean that it’s any good. There’s no place for it anymore.”