An investigation into allegations that a Co Carlow coursing club has been illegally holding hares on its grounds without a licence is being carried out by the Wildlife Service and the Garda Síochána.
A District Court warrant authorising a search of the three-acre holding area adjoining the Fenagh Coursing Club to investigate breaches of the 1976/2000 Wildlife Act was executed yesterday but no hares were found.
Animal Rights and Welfare groups claim there were hares being held there since late last year. While no officials of the club could be contacted, a spokesman for the Irish Coursing Club said it was aware of the allegations being made, but no hares were being held in Fenagh.
By law, hares which have been netted for coursing must be released within a week of the end of the meeting, if not before.
The district conservation officer for the area, Lorcan Scott, who has been heading up the investigation, said he had been told hares which were being held there had been released last Sunday week.
He confirmed he had seen hares in the enclosed area in February and had been looking into their status.
"The investigation is being centred on whether or not the hares were being kept there illegally. There is a suggestion that leverets [ young hares] which were born to animals which had been netted for the Clonmel coursing were held until they were big enough for release," he said.
He said that coursing clubs across the country supply hares for coursing to the Clonmel meeting, but hares used at the Fenagh Club would have had to be released immediately after its own meeting last November.
Bernie Wright, spokeswoman for the Association of Hunt Saboteurs, last night criticised the pace of the investigation, which was started on foot of information supplied to her about 10 days ago.
She said she went to the enclosed area on February 26th last but was unable to get in - and made a complaint.