Reflection on death of Live Hare Coursing club former CEO

national | miscellaneous | other press Saturday November 06, 2010 20:42 by Protecting Ireland's Wildlife

Departure from this death of Jerry Desmond, former CEO of the Irish Coursing Club

As a lifelong campaigner against hare coursing, I have mixed feelings about the death in a swimming-related incident in Portugal on Friday of Jerry Desmond, former CEO of the Irish Coursing Club.

For 20 years, Mr. Desmond worked hard to promote the horrific cruelty of live hare coursing in Ireland. Naturally he didn't think of it as cruelty. Like most fans of the practise, he was in denial of its true nature.

In recent years he fell foul of his former pals in the ICC. He was "lifted" by the Fraud Squad earlier this year and questioned about alleged fraud involving the ICC and its official organ, the Sporting Press. He was released without charge and a file sent to the DPP. The DPP has not yet made a decision in relation to whether or not to have anyone charged in relation to the alleged fraud.

Mr. Desmond was also central to litigation involving the ICC and a property developer, Limerick-based Greenband Investments. Greenband sued the ICC for alleged breach of contract over the sale of a right of way adjacent to ICC HQ in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary.

Greenband won the case and the Commercial Court will decide on January 18th 2011 on the amount of damages to be awarded againt the hare coursing organisation. Hare baiting fans nationwide fear the case will sink coursing.

Though an enemy of hare coursing, I hope Mr. Desmond died a less painful death than the thousands of hares that his orgainsation had ripped to pieces by dogs throughout his tenure as ICC CEO.

May he find peace in the Spirit World and become an animal lover in his next life on earth.