Great Game Fairs of Ireland

30/01/2026

Wildfowling - a cultural heritage. BASC have joined up with other country sports to protect our sports by having them regarded as part of our cultural heritage. Hunting Kind have been very active in preparing a case for Hunting. In this article Patrick O' Reilly gives details of the basis of this campaign and how you can help.

02/12/2025

🚨 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐔𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃 🇮🇪
On 17th December, TDs will vote on a Bill that could fundamentally change rural life in Ireland.

Whether you hunt or not — this affects your job, your kids, your community, your small businesses and our national horse industry.

Please take 60 seconds to read this.👇

❌ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐲 — 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝.

Decisions are being pushed by people who don’t see what rural communities live every day:
• young people who only find confidence on a horse, not a phone
• vets, feed merchants & saddleries depending on winter income
• small businesses relying on hunt days to survive
• breeders keeping Ireland’s equine reputation alive
• pensioners who get their only weekly social day from the hunt
• farms, land and biodiversity maintained because of countryside access

These realities are invisible to many policymakers — but not to us.

📝 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 & 𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭
Before anyone debates change, it’s important people understand that hunting in Ireland today is not unregulated. It operates under clear laws, licensing, welfare standards, and full insurance requirements, including:

🐴 𝑯𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆
• Horses must be fit, healthy and appropriately conditioned
• Regular veterinary care is standard
• Codes of practice prevent overworking or unsafe riding
• Strict etiquette ensures safe jumping, spacing and responsible horsemanship

🐶 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 & 𝑲𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒍 𝑳𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈
• Kennels operate under Department of Agriculture regulations
• All hound kennels require valid kennel licences
• Routine vet care, vaccination, structured feeding, hygiene standards
• Welfare logs and health records maintained

🏛 𝑵𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝑮𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔
Hunts operate under the oversight of:
• Hunting Association of Ireland (HAI)

Who set out:
✔️ welfare rules
✔️ conduct & safety standards
✔️ route planning protocols
✔️ compliance expectations
✔️ disciplinary procedures

🚜 𝑳𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 & 𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝑨𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔
• Permission is required from landowners
• Routes are planned carefully
• Livestock, crops & fencing must be respected
• Land damage must be reported and rectified
• Safety of riders, foot followers & the public is prioritised

🛡 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆
All recognised hunts carry specialist insurance that protects:
• farmers and landowners
• riders & foot followers
• the public
• committees & volunteers
• point-to-point operations linked to hunts

This insurance requires strict adherence to governance, welfare and safety rules — meaning unregulated activity CANNOT legally take place.

🐴 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 €𝟏.𝟑 𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲
Ireland is globally recognised for producing the bravest and most reliable horses — a reputation built from education in natural countryside.

If hunting is banned, the knock-on effects are real:
❌ reduced demand from overseas buyers
❌ decreased value of Irish horses
❌ fewer young riders entering the sport
❌ loss of rural equestrian jobs
❌ Point-to-Points will suffer

✈️ 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦
Every year riders travel from the USA, UK, Europe and beyond to experience Ireland’s countryside, hunting, horses and our hospitality.

These visitors spend money on:
• hotels & B&Bs
• pubs & cafés
• car hire
• livery yards
• riding centres
• local tourism businesses

Ban hunting → lose visitors → lose winter income → small towns suffer.

💼 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭
Every hunt day supports:
• feed suppliers
• vets
• farriers
• garages
• fuel stations
• rural pubs
• cafés
• accommodation providers
• fencing contractors
• saddleries
• transporters

This is real money flowing into local communities during the toughest months of the year.
Take it away, and there is no replacement.

🌿 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 — 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 — 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 & 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐬
People who live in rural Ireland understand:
• fox populations overpopulate without management
• disease spreads quickly
• habitats get removed when no longer needed
• hedgerows decline
• biodiversity drops, not improves

Responsible, regulated hunting supports the maintenance of land, hedges, coverts and wildlife corridors that benefit many species — not just foxes.

🧒 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐒 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞
Right now our youth are struggling with anxiety, isolation and record screen time.
Hunting gives them:
✔️ routine
✔️ physical activity
✔️ confidence
✔️ a safe community
✔️ resilience
✔️ connection to nature

For many rural kids, this is their only winter sport. Taking it away removes their outlet, their progress and their place in the world.

💔 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 & 𝐫𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝
On December 17th, TDs will answer one question:
Do rural voices matter?
Do rural jobs matter?
Do young people matter?
Do small businesses matter?
Does balanced, evidence-based policy matter?

📣 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐎 (𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬)
👉 Look up your TDs (Google “Who is my TD”)
👉 Send this simple, respectful message:
“Please vote NO to the hunting ban on December 17th. This Bill harms rural jobs, young people, tourism, wildlife habitats and Ireland’s horse industry”

If you care about rural Ireland, young people, horses, wildlife or small businesses — this is the moment to act.

𝐋𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞.

❤️ 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒.

07/04/2025

Great family weekend at the Shanes Castle Steam Rally.

15/01/2025

Fantastic investment offer - classic country sports books at unbeatable prices.

'Pike and Perch', 1900, written by William Senior, John Bickerdyke, W. H.Pope, and Alexander Innes Shand. Illustrated by George Roller. Illustrated by A Thorburn, G. E. Lodge, S. Alken, and CharlesWhymper.

24/12/2024

We need to take a stand against the anti hunting bill otherwise shooting ( already under threat on environmental/conservation grounds) and angling including salmon fishing will follow.

Dogs (terriers, lurchers, sighthounds, scent hounds, gundogs) are under massive threat in Northern Ireland. If you don't want to lose it all, like Scotland just did, get behind changing the numbers on this survey link and fill it in. Or has apathy beaten us? https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JBHuntingPMB

09/12/2024

Unique collection of the SIX Golden Retriever Books of Champions by Val Foss PLUS the book 'The Golden Retriever in Ireland' by Albert Titterington and Mick Gaffney ( covering the Irish Champions up to 1994).