Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Countryside Alliance Ireland was warmly welcomed at the UUP Conference last Saturday.   

As a rural campaigning organisation, we ensure our members interests are well represented on the political stage and the party conferences are an excellent forum to allow us to do just that.   

As we have said many times before, we must not become complacent and Countryside Alliance Ireland will continue to strive to ensure our members’ interests are heard at the very heart of political decision making. 

We now look forward to attending the SDLP and DUP Conferences in November. 

FACE Ireland is encouraging all country sports supporters to join in and celebrate St Hubert’s Day (St Hubert is the patron saint of hunting) by either holding a game dinner or BBQ in honour of sustainable hunting in Ireland.  

This year the location for St Hubert's Day celebration is Kinnity Castle and will be held on Friday the 4th November starting at 12:30. It is anticipated that a large number of hunt, gun and angling clubs will be in attendance and will make this a memorable day out.  In addition, land owners and all friends of country sports will be most welcome to attend and enjoy the festivities.  

Game shooters are encouraged to bring along a hunting dog as a symbol of their traditional past time.  Other hunting and country sport disciplines are invited to bring along similar suitable symbols, including birds of prey so come along to this important social occasion and celebrate the start of a great hunting season.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, in conjunction with the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, has developed a Draft Policy Vision for Deer Management in Ireland. The Department now invites written submissions from interested parties and organisations in relation to this document, and deer management policy related issues in general.

In addition to written submissions, the Department also invites written expressions of interest from organisations and groups interested in participating in a future Policy Development Partnership that will assist with the further development of an agreed Deer Management Strategy for Ireland, in conjunction with the Departments concerned.Draft Deer Management Policy Vision (pdf 537Kb)

Written submissions and expressions of interest should be sent by email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or by post to

Submission on Deer Management Policy Vision,
Forest Service,
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine,
Johnstown Castle Estate,
Wexford.

Please note that submissions received will be made publicly available on this website.The Closing date for receipt of submissions is Monday, November 28, 2011

Northern Ireland's Sports Minister, Carál Ní Chuilín, today announced that there will be no increase in fishing licence fees for the 2012 fishing seasons. In making the announcement, the Minister said: “In light of the current economic climate, I have decided to keep the salmon and inland fishing licence fees at 2011 levels.

This is the third year in a row that there has been no annual increase. I hope this will continue to ease the financial burden on those involved in the commercial fishing sectors and encourage others to enjoy recreational fishing.”

Whilst there is a price freeze on licences and permit fees, fishing permits for the Public Angling Estate will subject to an inflationary rise of 4.8%.

Continuing, the Minister said: “Angling has proven health benefits and I would like to see more people get involved. I hope that by freezing the licence fees, people will be more encouraged to take up the sport and become more active and healthy.”

Lyall Plant Chief Executive Countryside Alliance Ireland said: "we are delighted to see that there is no increase in the annual licence for next season. However, we urge all those who go angling to do so legally and obtain the correct licence and fishing permit for 2012.