A major demonstration calling for an end to sulky racing on public roads across Ireland is set to take place today, Saturday 9th May.
The peaceful march, scheduled for 3pm in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, will proceed from Irishtown to the Plaza area of the town and has been organised by Labour councillor Michael ‘Chicken’ Brennan, reports Breaking News.
The protest has been arranged in the wake of the death of a horse that was struck by two vehicles in the Old Bridge area of Clonmel, Co Tipperary, in March, while it was being used in a sulky race. The event also follows footage captured last month showing sulky racing taking place on the busy N7 near Naas, Co Kildare, in heavy Friday evening commuter traffic, raising serious concerns about enforcement under road traffic legislation, which already strictly prohibits horses and horse-drawn vehicles on motorways.
Animal welfare organisations the Munster Party for Animal Welfare and My Lovely Horse are urging the public to attend the rally and put a stop to what they describe as the “unsafe and abusive use of horses in road-based sulky activity.” Local Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy is calling for a “consistent national framework” to govern the presence of horse-drawn vehicles on Ireland’s roads, reports Breaking News.
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has also added his voice to calls for “urgent action” and a “clampdown” on sulky racing, while Fine Gael’s Barry Ward has raised the matter with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, questioning him on the number of prosecutions specifically related to sulky racing over the past five years.
Minister O’Callaghan said this week that he is “open to bringing in new legislation” to address the growing concerns around sulkies on public roads, reports Breaking News.
Garda authorities have acknowledged that there is currently no dedicated offence category or arrest classification for sulky racing on the PULSE system, and that the number of cases brought before the courts over the past year is not recorded. The Minister outlined that members of the public wishing to report incidents can attend a Garda station to lodge a formal complaint and submit video footage, though they will be required to provide a statement, verify the authenticity of any recordings, and commit to attending court as a witness if proceedings are initiated.
Plans are also in place to develop a Digital Evidence Management System to enable the public to submit video footage via an online portal, with garda authorities expecting this system to be operational before the end of the year, reports Breaking News.
A spokesperson for My Lovely Horse said: “A living animal, sentient, sensitive and easily frightened lost its life in a situation it should never have been in.”
“The horse was exposed to fast-moving traffic, noise, and pressure that no animal can reasonably be expected to cope with. When things go wrong in those situations, they go wrong quickly, and the consequences are devastating,” reports Breaking News.
The charity argued that the presence of sulkies on public roads creates conditions where “control can be lost in an instant, putting horses, drivers, and the public at risk,” and stressed that enforcement of existing laws has remained inconsistent with meaningful consequences remaining rare. Among the group’s demands are a full ban on sulkies on public roads, the creation of a properly funded dedicated Animal Crime Unit, stricter enforcement of existing animal welfare and road safety legislation, prosecution of those found in breach, and increased funding for animal welfare organisations, reports Breaking News.
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