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Stand-off looms at Sevenhouses
Hundreds of English visitors from both sides of the bloodsports divide will descend on the county next week.
Sevenhouses coursing grounds near Danesfort will become the battlground between those who follow the centuries old tradition of hare coursing and those who favour a total ban on all bloodsports.
The meeting to be held on Saturday, January 14 and Sunday, January 15 is one of the most popular in the country.
This year, the site four miles from the city, just off the Waterford-Kilkenny road will be the focal point of a major international protest.
Gardai will be on standby to ensure the event, one of the best organised in the country, goes off peacefully.
A small number of opponents of hare coursing in Kilkenny will join a larger group of anti-cruelty and animal rights activists from home and abroad at the event.
The main feature at this year's meeting will be a nominator event for 32 greyhounds.
Half the field in the Samus Hughes Cup will be from Ireland. The other 16 places have been reserved for British greyhounds, which would have competed in the now defunct Waterloo Cup which was cancelled after hare coursing was banned.
Unlike Britain, greyhounds in Ireland which compete in coursing meetings are muzzled to protect the hares.
The ban in Britain means that more and more British greyhounds are competing in Ireland.
On its website, the British National Coursing Club has a section entitled, 'Coursing In Eire'.
"Some coursing owners already have been lucky enough to run their dogs at Irish Coursing Club meetings, including the Yorkshire Stake for 16 English owned and trained entries at Cappoquin," it states.
"The Sevenhouses meeting proposes to run a 32-runner Seamus Hughes International with 16 places for Waterloo Cup nominators."
The site goes on to suggest places to stay locally. It also advises contacting the Irish Coursing Club with enquiries about Irish coursing.
It is expected the annual meeting will attract a large number of spectators and provide the city with a major tourism boost during what is traditionally a quiet time of the year.
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Weather for Kilkenny
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 3 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South
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