I'm not sure if this is the most apt section for this post...but here goes. Just a word about the ongoing campaign in Ireland to have the Irish Hare protected. It's now officially listed as an endangered species...its biggest enemy in a conservation sense being loss of habitat owing to increased urbanisation and modern agriculture.

But it's also threatened by hunting activities. Some local hare polulations in ares where coursing clubs are active have been devastated. Hare coursing in Ireland requires the capture of more than 10,000 hares annually by the clubs involved. Apart from the impact of this practise on local hare stocks in coursing districts, the whole "sport" of hare coursing is horribly cruel.

Whilst illegal in the UK (at least until the Tories get back to power with their pledge to repeal the Hunting Act!), coursing is still widely practised in Ireland. There's a long running campaign to have it banned, and this effort recently got a significant boost from the publication of the book Bad Hare Days by John Fitzgerald,in which the author recounts the lively struggle waged by animal welfare and wildlife protection groups on behalf of the gentle hare. He has an informative website at www.myspace.com/banharecoursingireland

Of course the main threat to the Irish Hare comes from loss of habitat, but surely we humans don't need to add to its woes by staging these medieval baiting sessions? The hare is a most attractive feature of our natural environment and long may it remain so.

Thanks for tha warm welcome Lorna. The hare is a fascinating creature, revowned in mythology and a great assest to the countryside...of Britain as much as Ireland. I believe there's a group called the Brown Hare Preservation Society in the UK campaigning for complete protection of that creature.