North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?
?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?
US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty Anti-Empire >>
Promoting Human Rights in IrelandHuman Rights in Ireland >>
Friedrich Merz is the Most Incompetent Chancellor Germany Has Ever Seen Mon Jul 14, 2025 19:00 | Eugyppius Friedrich Merz's incompetence has just visited upon Germany a political farce the likes of which Eugyppius has never seen before, and which the mainstream media are not going to tell you the full truth about.
The post Friedrich Merz is the Most Incompetent Chancellor Germany Has Ever Seen appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Tim Davie ?Must Go? After Damning BBC Gaza Report Mon Jul 14, 2025 17:00 | Will Jones BBC Director General Tim Davie is facing calls to resign after a damning review found the corporation's controversial Gaza documentary breached editorial guidelines on accuracy.
The post Tim Davie “Must Go” After Damning BBC Gaza Report appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
What?s the Truth About POTS? Mon Jul 14, 2025 15:00 | Jane Walkington With walking sticks on the rise among teenage girls diagnosed with POTS, many observers are dismissing it as the latest social contagion among unhappy young people. Jane Walkington disagrees.
The post What’s the Truth About POTS? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
Welcome to the Land of the Free? Until You Express an Opinion Mon Jul 14, 2025 13:00 | Mike Fairclough Read the introduction to Cancel THIS, a new book by Mike Fairclough, the courageous headteacher who lost his job after he refused to force schoolchildren to wear masks during the pandemic.
The post Welcome to the Land of the Free… Until You Express an Opinion appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.
?Woke? Netflix Bosses Axe Iconic Scene from Pride and Prejudice Remake to ?Avoid Objectifying Men? Mon Jul 14, 2025 11:14 | Will Jones Netflix?bosses have axed the iconic moment from?Pride and Prejudice when Mr Darcy ? played by Colin Firth ? emerges from a lake in a new 'woke' move to avoid "objectifying men".
The post ‘Woke’ Netflix Bosses Axe Iconic Scene from Pride and Prejudice Remake to “Avoid Objectifying Men” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic. Lockdown Skeptics >>
Voltaire, international edition
Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en
Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en
Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en
The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en Voltaire Network >>
|
Trainers convicted of “blooding” greyhounds on live rabbits still have full access to greyhounds and other animals...
international |
crime and justice |
opinion/analysis
Thursday April 13, 2017 18:34 by Campaign to end cruelty to greyhounds and hares in Ireland

A blot on Ireland's shamed greyhound industry...
With the Greyhound Industry Bill due before the Oireachtas in the coming weeks, legislators need to be lobbied to ensure that any greyhound owner or trainer convicted of “blooding” greyhounds be banned FOR LIFE from access to, or ownership of, animals of any kind.
 "sport"? Prominent greyhound trainers convicted of “blooding” are still heavily involved in the industry.
An example: In 1994, Owen McKenna was one of a number of trainers secretly filmed feeding live rabbits to greyhounds at a track in County Tipperary. He and the others were caught red-handed by an undercover journalist using a hidden camera (Donal MacIntyre) and the footage featured in a programme about aspects of Ireland’s greyhound industry titled On the Line.
Please see below a link to the relevant excerpt from the programme. In addition to the actual “blooding”, cages full of rabbits being carried about on the track were filmed.
Mr. McKenna and others were later convicted of “blooding” the dogs and fined. Mr. McKenna is a son of the legendary Ger McKenna, an icon to track racing and hare coursing fans. In the programme featuring the “blooding” footage, the late Ger McKenna is seen warning off a journalist who seeks to get answers regarding his son’s activity.
Despite repeated assurances from the Irish Greyhound Board (Bord na gCon) that it abhors “blooding” and will not stand for it within the industry, people convicted of it are free to continue owning and or training greyhounds.
See below information from the Irish Greyhound Board website, clearly showing the extent of Owen McKenna’s continued involvement in the industry, despite his “blooding” conviction, and information from the “Greyhound Knowledge Forum” website showing that in 2013 Mr. McKenna acted as PRO for a committee dedicated to the promotion of greyhound racing in Ireland.
This is totally unacceptable and sends the wrong signal to people tempted to enhance a greyhound’s performance by using live bait to train it. TDs and Senators should press for a zero tolerance approach to “blooding” when they progress to considering the next stage of the Greyhound Industry Bill. Anything less than complete exclusion from the industry of people who engage in this detestable practice will be unacceptable to the many groups and individuals committed to the welfare of animals in Ireland.
Currently, the greyhound industry is in turmoil, with a bitter stand-off between the Greyhound Board and groups representing owners and trainers. Both sides in the dispute ought to be agreed that “blooding” needs to be stamped out and that all involved in it banished forever from the industry.
Here is the relevant info re Owen McKenna’s involvement in the Irish greyhound industry and his “blooding” activity:
1) Excerpt from programme called On the Line screened in 1994 in which Owen McKenna was filmed with other trainers feeding live rabbits to greyhounds at a County Tipperary track:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q33yiORJfXs
2)
Information from IGB website re Owen McKenna:
Owen McKenna
Public / Private:
Public
Trainer / Agent:
Trainer
Last Recorded Race or Trial:
09-Apr-17 (Clonmel)
Address:
Co. Tipperary
Recorded 2017 Race Entries:
68
Recorded 2017 Winners:
15
Recorded Race Entries :
5414
Recorded Winners :
1622
Recorded Finishes :
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
1622
1092
915
724
609
452
Showing dogs 1 to 15 of the 27 recently raced greyhounds currently trained by Owen McKenna
Allen Challenger
Allen Junior
Allen Lynx
Allen Tank
Ballymac Tomasso
Business Master
Escapism
Gormans Mixture
Farloe Joey
Garfiney Bolt
Dumas
Farloe Falcon
Create A Star
Cahir Castle
Leamaneigh Mags
3)
Information on Greyhound Knowledge Forum (website) re Owen McKenna’s high profile role in promoting greyhound racing:
NEW TRAINERS’ ASSOCIATION
30/09/2013
The new Trainers’ Association is trying to contact all members as soon as possible and have submitted the following letter which is addressed to all owners.
Issued by Association Chairman Paul Hennessy, it reads:
Dear Trainer,
A new Irish Greyhound Trainers’ Association was recently formed and a Committee was appointed. The members of this Committee for the first year are:
Chairman: Paul Hennessy; Vice-Chairman: Graham Holland; Secretary: Tommy Bolton; Treasurer: Tom O’Neill; PRO: Owen McKenna.
The aim of the Irish Greyhound Trainers’ Association will be to improve the lot of every greyhound trainer and to promote the industry in every way possible. It is the intention of the Association to represent ALL greyhound trainers.
The Association intends to work in tandem with the Irish Greyhound Board in an effort to achieve this end. The Association hopes to improve communications between both organisations and to convey the hopes and concerns of its members to the Irish Greyhound Board.
 Objecting to a vile "industry"...
|
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (2 of 2)
Jump To Comment: 1 2The Greyhound industry is so inherently cruel that no amount of reform can turn it into an ethical industry that does not cause immeasurable suffering to dogs.
That's bad enough. What's even worse is that our government supports this declining Bloodsport through our tax money.
Time for this to stop, we need more public outrage which will be created by more awareness creation and agitation by activists.
If you care about the dogs, join AFAR or NARA Campaigns on one of their peaceful and pleasant demonstrations in front of Shelbourne Park.
Anyone remotely interested in protecting animals must oppose the misuse of dogs and hares in this chamber of horrors that calls itself an "industry"...Right now, there's a civil war raging within the "industry" so let's avail of this opportunity to strike a blow for the animals! Support NARA, ICABS and other groups. Protest dates listed on facebook pages...
Protest against hare coursing
Hare coursing "sport"...
Greyhound "industry"...