Animal rights activists have hit out at foreign companies advertising “desperate and deplorable” trophy hunting holidays in County Kerry.
Danish/ Scottish company Scotsport UK is offering package holidays for international hunters to shoot Sika Deer and Wild Goat in the Kingdom.
The company is promising hunters a “good opportunity to shoot, on average two to three sika stags” over a three to five-day trip.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, Ted Cronin, founder of the Kerry-based Animal Rights Party Ireland said the vast majority of people in Kerry are against hunting.
“I think it is desperate and deplorable, these holiday packages offering tourists the chance to shoot deer and wild mountain goats in Kerry,” he said.
“Kerry is famous for its beauty, its mountains, its lakes and its beaches – and it doesn’t want to be become known as a destination for trophy hunters.”
Trophy hunting
He said he does not expect any of the county’s five TDs to come out against the package holidays.
“Kerry is a tourist county and the majority of people would be against hunting,” he said.
“Our party is totally against hunting and blood sports and unfortunately down here, we don’t get any help from certain politicians who are big into hare coursing, fox hunting, the culling of deer and the culling of the protected grey seal.
“So, I doubt if they are going to be very supportive in trying to get these trophy hunters out of the Kingdom.”
Kerry
He said he hopes to organise peaceful protests against the hunting holidays and soon as COVID-19 restrictions allow.
“Hopefully when things get back to normal, we want to meet up with these people and talk to them and explain our situation,” he said.
“A lot of these companies are foreign companies sending in people for seven days and making big money out of pure cruelty.”
Mr Cronin said the fact that the hunting holidays are legal does not mean they are right, insisting, “the majority of people would be against this type of activity and Kerry does not want to be known as a county for trophy hunting.”
