Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Celebrity Chef Valentine Warner has written The Countryside Alliance Foundation’s new Game-to-Eat receipe leaflet, adding rabbit recipes to the traditional partridge, pheasant and venison dishes, in a first for the campaign.  This year’s recipe booklet is the biggest ever, with 16 pages of delicious innovative game recipes specially created by Valentine Warner and beautifully photographed.

Recipes include pheasant with saupiquet sauce, venison chops with creamed spinach, tandoori partridge and wild rabbit ragu. As well as the recipes the leaflet also contains information on game seasons, cooking tips and other ideas to demonstrate the versatility of game, recommending using it in brunch, as a Sunday roast or in family favourites such as shepherd’s pie. 

The Event will be held on July 31st and will start at 12 noon. Last Entries at 5pm.

Battens disease is a rare neuro-degenerative condition that affects babies, young children and juveniles. At present, it is unfortunately always fatal. Bee for Battens is the Irish based online campaign for raising awareness and supporting those affected by Battens Diease.

Countryside Alliance Ireland is delighted to welcome Foxford Gun Club as members of our organisation.

This follows a decision made by the Club during their Annual General Meeting that was held in Bourke’s Bar, Foxford, on Friday the 8th July 2011.  

Prior to the meeting CAI’s Chief Executive, Lyall Plant, gave a presentation to the assembled members on the work of the organisation and the benefits of joining Ireland’s leading rural campaigning organisation.  

Pictured L- R: John O'Brien Lynch, Treasurer, Michael McDermott, Chairman and Lyall Plant CEO Countryside Alliance Ireland.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have launched three 12 week consultations which deal with the welfare of animals. 

The first consultation relates to the draft Welfare of Animals (Permitted Procedures by Lay Persons) Regulations which will, for the first time, set out the procedures that are permitted to be carried out on animals by non-veterinarians. The Regulations will provide clarity to all keepers of animals by listing all acceptable procedures, many of which are commonly practised today. The Regulations propose to ban the hot branding of horses for identification purposes. Prohibited procedures will be permitted in an emergency for the purpose of saving life or relieving the pain

A coach trip to the 2011 Midland Game Fair has been organised once again this year by Bill Beckett.  The coach will leave Craigavon on Friday 16^th September and travel to Dublin that morning for the ferry to Holyhead.  The return is on the afternoon of Monday 19^th September, arriving at Craigavon in the late afternoon. 

The price for the trip is £265, based on two sharing.  This includes all transport and three night’s B&B and evening dinner in a 3 star hotel just twenty minutes away from the fair.  Entry to the fair is not included and is approximately £15 per day. 

Anyone interested should contact Bill on 07771 576757 or by e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

This year Ballinlough Castle Country Fair is playing host to a range of new and exciting equestrian events, including Pony Club Games and an Inter Hunt Team Chase.   

The Inter Hunt Team Chase is a new event at Ballinlough Castle Country Fair for 2011 and it has been designated as a qualifying event for the RDS Dublin Horse Show.  It will be run on Sunday 17^th July and is located on the spot where the former Ballinlough Castle Horse Trials won such acclaim and became so well known to many in equestrian circles.

Countryside Alliance Ireland is once again pleased to be able to offer our members discounted tickets to Ballinlough Castle National Country Fair, on 16^th and 17^th July. 

CAI is offering two adult tickets for the price of one – two adults for €15!  

Countryside Alliance Ireland is pleased to be able to announce the winner of the Calor Gas BBQ.  Everyone was welcome to enter the free prize draw at the CAI stand at the National Countrysports Fair in Moira, and the lucky winner of the impressive looking BBQ was Karen McMullan of Magheralin.

Thanks to all who entered and we can only hope that some good weather comes along soon to allow Karen to enjoy her new prize.

A second outbreak of a fatal red squirrel disease has been confirmed recently at another location in Northern Ireland. Squirrel Pox, which is carried by the non-native grey squirrel, has been confirmed as the cause of death for two native red squirrels in Glenarm Forest in Co. Antrim.

The disease is carried and spread by grey squirrels which are immune to its effects. It has decimated native red squirrel populations in other parts of the UK, and until recently had not been confirmed in Ireland. Squirrels with squirrel pox have swelling and discharge from lesions around the eyes mouth and feet, and become increasingly lethargic as the disease progresses. Infected animals normally die within 15 days.