On our website we try to incorporate as much balance as possible especially in regard to Comments received. To maintain such balance we are presently closing the Comment Line relating to the current Coursing topic.
Millstreet Town Park Closed from 6th Dec. 2021 until 1st Jan. 2022
Absolutely disgraceful that the park is closed, this facility is used daily by people who have given very generously to previous fundraising for the town park, the coursing club needs to find an alternative venue where it won’t affect our the locals who use the park daily. Where is the alternative for our elderly citizens to walk safely ?? Anyone who observes the the usage of the walking path can seen how popular this route is. This is unacceptable.
Unacceptable and very disappointing that once again the park is being closed for such a long period of time. I echo the comment above that people have given generously to the park and to be denied access for almost a month is not good enough
Surely there is an alternative?
The walking path is a safe place for adults and children to get there daily exercise, required for both physical and mental health surely this should be priority?
For those that seem to be unaware, Millstreet Coursing Club has given more than generously to Millstreet Town Park over the years and they also gave half the initial cost to buy the grounds first day.
Also there is an alternative route available for all Town Park users which is 500m in circumference which doesn’t include having to use the steps.
I hope this will resolve the issues brought up in the above comments.
No one cares how much blood money is spent doing up the town park if you ask me its used in ways completely senseless and wasteful. Tarmacing a perfectly walkable concrete footpath making it absolutely lethal with frost and ice last week and not a lack of grit salt ever used down in a park known to be predominantly used by the elderly people of this town. Take yer barbarian sport up to the wilds of the country where it belongs!! Its despicable in this day and age and boasting about funds. Get a grip plenty townspeople donate to the upkeep of that park and plenty townspeople do the work!!
Could you be more specific as to where this alternative route is?
Also can you explain why the town park has to close for 4 weeks? I thought the coursing was a 1 day event?
All clubs contribute generously to the Town Park, but only one restricts access for a significant period of time!
Beautiful pictures on the website this morning of our wildlife, but what of our hares being captured and tormented for weeks, and in full view of the boys national school. What message does that send to children?
For like minded people to see if these is many in objecting to the closure of the park.
https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/millstreet-town-park
Typical of the blood sports outfit that they need “security” and a closure of a public amenity. If it was a “sport” then it would need neither closure or “security. It’s about time that Millstreet and Ireland looked in the mirror and removed these medieval savage practices. The rest of them were done away with ….why has this stain on the Irish society remained..!
Why are the people of Millstreet still facilating this all these years later? Many people rely on this park to facilate their daily walks. The wonderful exercise equipment placed around the park greatly facilates peoples health and wellbeing. If this park closes for 4 weeks, the people who rely on both the park and exercise equipment will not be facilated for at all. Many people do not feel comfortable walking through the town, especially now that people want to reduce their interactions with others. Having the the town park open greatly facilates for people to walk in a safe manner, while reducing contact with others. It would facilate matters if there was more cooperation from the coursing club.
Alot of people are upset, disappointed and angry at the closure of the park, nothing is going to change unless we as a community come out and protest at the closure of our park, we need our voices to be heard, if we want change we need to do something about it in a peaceful manner like protesting in the town park, everyone I speak to feels the same way about the closure, we need to stand up for what’s right, we cannot allow the park to be closed because of a very small minority, let’s do the right thing.
Made such a lovely difference last Christmas with the coursing cancelled. Hate that it takes place in the park … hated it when I was a young child and now as an adult… how many animals were abused during that time under the guise of ‘sport ‘… shame on us as a nation and Millstreet as a town to still allow it to take place.
I remember all that Meg and all these years later, nothing has changed
The fact that Pat was on Liveline today shows that the people of Millstreet aren’t being facilated for. There are comments pouring in on this very website from people who feel they aren’t being facilated for. The facebook page is also a great display of people who feel the attitude of the coursing club does not facilate the needs of the locals of Millstreet . The need and desire to host hare coursing in Millstreet town park is facilated by a deal made over 70 years ago. It’s ironic the park gets closed for 4 weeks to facilate the hares getting “comfortable” when they will be chased around a field 3 weeks later. Are you facilating their needs then when you unleash dogs on them?
A Coursing Rant
The closure of Millstreet Town Park fors hare coursing by the Committee of the Millstreet Coursing Club
Of late a hotly discussed topic online and in many a Duhallow pub
By the pro and anti coursing people strong feelings to angry words give rise
That such feelings can become emotive in reality no surprise
I used to be a fan of coursing this is going back many years
And if today the Irish Government ban it i for one will not be shedding tears
But of course the government will not ban it since they would lose votes in the process
Though the anti coursing people their strong views in public will express
In Duhallow coursing not a big a craze less talked of than Hurling and Gaelic Football stars
And famed athletes and rally drivers at night in the public bars
Many condemn coursing people this to say the least quite sad
Of them in past years i have known many and in them could not see any bad
Hare coursing has changed quite a lot it seems far less cruel today
Coursing dogs nowadays are muzzled when they chase their natural prey
Coursing fans are not cruel people despite what anti coursing people think or say
When the hare makes good it’s escape from them there’s a loud hooray
Those who cannot walk in the Millstreet Town Park due to coursing in December should have no reason to complain
In Winter in wet old Ireland not many days without some rain
When mature trees were removed in the Town Park one has to wonder where were they
How many of them were then protesting and of this what had they to say
Environmental damage by us humans is far worse than hare coursing this is how it seems to me
And i am one when i was younger who did cut down many a tree
This makes me look quite hypocritical many would see it this way
But from our mistakes we do learn what i was i am not today
In December when old Clara wears a Winter hat of snow
And Finnow to the Blackwater bank high by Millstreet Town does flow
In Millstreet Town by the mountain many a wet and wintery day
And only the foolhardy a visit to the Town Park does pay
For those protesting the closing of the Millstreet Town Park i feel no sympathy at all
If this is their biggest worry then their worries are quite small
And if coursing is banned in Ireland i will not be shedding tears
I will just get on with my life as i have been doing for years.
I so enjoyed your poetic tongue, but hope your life when over, you do not return as a hare, and I as a hound.
Well said Pat
Millstreet Town Park is a wonderful amenity to both young and old. This amenity is restricted once a year by an outdated agreement and unfortunately change is hard to bring about.
There are very dedicated and hardworking people on the town Park committee who give of their free time and are committed to the Town Park.
Unfortunately private information relating to members of the town Park Committee has been put up on a previous petition. This is not fair.
The current conversation and petition is not targeting those who work to benefit the town park and are opposed to the park being closed, nor does it provided personal details or endorse such.
The current conversation and petition is in support of those hardworking Town Park Committee members and it’s sole purpose is to object to the closure of this beautiful space for the purpose of coursing.
Having heard the issue of the Town Park and the Coursing controversy on the Joe Duffy show, I felt it incumbent on me to make some comment because of my love, affinity, and interest, in all matters relating to my mother’s birthplace.
We are all aware of the emotive topic of enclosed Park Coursing as practiced in many rural communities in Ireland.
Having spent many happy childhood days in the “Park” of Coomlogane House, I was rather surprised that this community facility is now restricted for a full month of the year to the general public. Surely there are other less public locations throughout the Millstreet area where the Coursing fraternity could follow their pursuit of Hare coursing.
To satisfy this sporting need, the other more ancient form of hunting the Hare should be introduced, and restricted to the many expanses of open moorland where the contest between hound and hare is more evenly matched.
I am now a senior citizen, but at this time of year every year I remember being a young child in the boy’s national school, sitting at my desk pondering the poor hares in captivity just outside our school window. How many generations of boys have been having the same thoughts?
Now my Grandsons ask me ‘Granddad why didn’t you do something?’ I feel ashamed.
To his credit Mr. Kiely R.I.P, took a stand and cancelled the half day that we were given for the final day of coursing.
As teenagers we tried in our own way to save the hares, cutting the wire to help them escape, this we tried on many occasion but failed.
What have I done since then….nothing! I have left it to someone else, hopelessly hoping that someone else might succeed where I failed.
I feel ashamed; we have failed the generations of children that have come after us and I now feel that I am failing my Grandchildren and most of all we have failed our beautiful native Hare. We have failed and continue to fail them.
Now is the time for the failing and shame to stop, now is the time for change.