While it may be the season to be jolly, Christmas can be the worst time of year for the foxes and hares that still have to suffer for man's warped gratification.

The traditional benign image of 'country pastimes' depicted on festive greeting cards and table mats is far removed from the grim and decidedly unsporting reality.

Hares are injured and tossed about like rag dolls at coursing events and those that escape visibly unscathed have to cope with stress myopathy. They are never the same after their abusive ordeal at the hands of man. Foxes that fail to evade the pack have the skin ripped off their bones and the blood from their mangled carcasses is smeared on the faces of hunt followers, including children present at the kill.

But at least the noble stag will not be hounded this Christmas. The Greens, whatever their shortcomings, deserve credit for that.

Rudolph need have no worries about flying at low altitude over certain parts of Meath and north Co Dublin this year, as the red-coated ladies and gentlemen (not to be confused with Santa's helpers) will not be chasing deer across fields, over hills, onto farms, or into rivers or lakes.

Nor will they be wrestling them out of crates or poking them with sticks to get them running.

With his nose shining brightly, Rudolph can descend as close to earth as he wishes, as can Dasher, Prancer, Vixen, and the others, and sleigh bells can jingle merrily over the midlands.

For while the fox and the hare await deliverance, the stag in the Ward runs free.

John Fitzgerald

Lower Coyne Street

Callan, Co Kilkenny

......

In this Christian and supposedly civilised country, there will be widespread cruelty inflicted on wild animals over the Christmas holiday season.

This reaches a peak on St Stephen's Day, which is a traditional time for hunt meets and hare-coursing events.

On this day, there will be an increased countrywide organised assault on our already hard-pressed wildlife by a minority of the population.

No Christmas respite is given to wildlife by bloodsports followers, who ruthlessly violate them by their obscene actions. In a sense, bloodsports are a pursuit that allows human beings a holiday from being human.

The actions of the Irish hare-coursing community have been well-documented. Many hares will end their lives for the Christmas entertainment of people who are strangers to compassion and respect for life.

The foxhunting community uses the St Stephen's Day meets as a major public relations exercise. The public is shown the Christmas card image of fox hunting – red-coated riders throwing back glasses of hot port surrounded by packs of big loveable hounds who demand affection.

What is kept hidden is the sole reason for this gathering – that is to hunt down, terrorise and kill one of nature's most harmless animals, the fox.

Foxhunting with packs of hounds is organised pre-meditated animal cruelty. There is no justification for it; be it on moral, economic or cultural grounds.

It is difficult to understand how these people can square the Christian message of kindness and compassion with the brutality that lies at the core of bloodsports.

It is now time for our legislators to act to outlaw bloodsports. The presence of bloodsports in society is a disgrace.

It has no role in what purports to be an enlightened and environmentally friendly society.

Our wildlife is part of our precious heritage. We keep it in trust for future generations.

No one group pleading 'tradition' and 'culture' for their barbaric practices should be allowed to inflict terror and death on wild animals for their own perverse pleasure.

John Tierney

Campaigns Director

Association of Hunt Saboteurs

PO Box 4734

Dublin 1