The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
‘WE’RE BEING TERRORISED’
GANGS OF ROVING THUGS ILLEGALLY HUNTING HARES ARE TERRORISING FARMERS, PUBLIC MEETING HEARS
LANDOWNERS across north Kerry are being intimidated and physically threatened on a regular basis by gangs of illegal hunters who are entering their lands, armed with guns, scouting for hares.
A group of farmers in Ballyduff were threatened with wheel braces and car jacks when they confronted a gang of trespassers, while the chairman of County Kerry Coursing Club was told that his house and jeep would be burnt out in some of the most shocking examples of what farmers say has now become very dangerous situation.
Such is the concern among land owners and coursing club members that an emergency meeting was called with senior gardaí on Friday, chaired by Irish Coursing Club CEO, DJ Histon. Members of eight coursing clubs across north Kerry attended, along with representatives of the IFA and ICMSA and Superintendents Jim O’Connor (Tralee) and Dan Keane (Listowel).
As well as trying to tackle the clubs’ struggle to preserve the hares for their coursing events as a result of this illegal hunting, the meeting also aimed to highlight the shocking level of threats and intimidation landowners are now facing from these hunters. Many farmers believe that they are entering the land with lurcher dogs (Greyhound cross breeds), betting on each other’s dogs, thus killing the hares.
While several reports of damage to gates and fences were recounted at the meeting, a number of farmers spoke about the verbal and physical intimation they have been subjected to when confronting the trespassers.
Chairman of Ballyduff Coursing Club, Michael Slattery, recounted how he and a group of others confronted six hunters on one occasion and while they tried to hold the men until gardaí arrived, the men in question took jacks and wheel braces from their cars and threatened to ‘burst the farmers’ heads in.’
“Another time, one farmer was told that they would break every window in his house,” Mr Slattery continued, saying that he himself has met the same group five times. “People are afraid and I know for a fact some people have got guns as a result of it.”
Mike Hickey of Kilflynn Coursing Club said that he and a number of fellow club members were also threatened by a group who were trespassing on land in the village.
“When they were approached to get off the land they gave battle and one fella took off his shirt to fight,” he said. “One of them told us that if anything happened to his dogs, there wouldn’t be a greyhound left in Kilflynn.”
County Kerry Coursing Club chairman, Tom Ward, said he was told over the phone that his house and jeep would be burnt out.
“That same night these people came up to Ballybeggan and terrorised us,” Mr Ward said.
John Griffin of Ballyheigue Coursing Club spoke of another incident at a coursing meeting in Tralee when one farmer was threatened in front of his young daughter.
“There was a confrontation and a stand-off on the side of the road one day and threats were made. A few weeks later, at the coursing meeting in Tralee, the farmer was parked up in his van outside with his seven year old daughter and the same man passed and threatened that he’d get him. His daughter got really upset.”
Sean Brosnan of Kerry IFA told the meeting that he and his colleagues have received numerous reports of intimidation, and that people are genuinely afraid, while Robert O’Mahony of the ICMSA said he too hears about this issue ‘every single day’ and said the real concern is that farmers do not know how to approach them without fear of retaliation.
As well as the physical threats to the landowners, the illegal hunting is also jeopardising the future of coursing in Kerry if they are allowed to continuing hunting, killing off the hare stocks.
Both Superintendent O’Connor and Keane said they were unaware of the level of threats and intimidation that farmers are facing, saying that they each have only dealt with two complaints.
Supt O’Connor said that the only way to tackle the issue is for landowners to make official statements and are prepared to go to court and give evidence. He said it is most likely that these people are already known to gardaí and that it is probably the same group of people travelling around from farm to farm. He also urged landowners to get photographs and car registrations.
“It’s quite obvious that there is huge concern here and I wasn’t aware this problem was so big,” he said.
“Chances are some of these people will already have been arrested multiple times but I can’t do anything or take anyone to court without statements. That’s when they will realise you’re serious because they will push the boundaries as far as they can. The only way to face them down is to take them to court,” Supt O’Connor advised.
It was agreed that Irish Coursing club CEO DJ Histon would meet with both the superintendents again and report back to members on how best to progress the matter based on future developments.