200 RISE! supporters in Roscrea demo against Taoiseach
12th April 2010

More than two hundred supporters of the rural organisation RISE! took part in a demo to mark the Taoiseach’s visit to Roscrea, county Tipperary, to officially open a new leisure centre.

RISE! Rural Ireland Says Enough! was formed in January by sixteen hunting organisations to promote and defend traditional rural sports like hunting, coursing, shooting and angling against Green Party proposals.

The Taoiseach arrived at the leisure centre on the old Dublin Road just before 12.30 pm. The RISE demonstrators were in place from 10.30 am.

The demo was mainly focussed on supporters in county Tipperary and included members of local mounted and foot hunts, gun clubs and anglers.

A spokesperson for RISE! said: ‘Today’s demo is a ‘wake up’ call to the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil that they are being sleepwalked into legislative attacks on hunting and other traditional rural sports by a tiny, unrepresentative Green Party. It is time for FF representatives to stop all the talk and waffling about the Dog Breeders Bill and the proposed ban on the Ward Union hunt and to stand up to the Greens.’