WATCH: Tipperary protest on road safety after fatal sulky crash
'Walk in Solidarity’ protest in Clonmel calls for animal rights
Crowds gathered in Clonmel on Saturday, May 9, for a protest march calling for stronger animal welfare protections and improved road safety measures.
The protest was prompted by an incident in the Oldbridge area of Clonmel in March in which a horse died following a collision involving a sulky and two cars. The incident sparked widespread concern locally over the use of sulkies on public roads and calls for stricter enforcement and regulation.
The “Walk in Solidarity” took place from Irishtown carpark to the Plaza and was organised by Labour's Cllr Michael “Chicken” Brennan, Independent Cllr Liam Browne and animal welfare group My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue.
Speaking after Saturday’s demonstration to the Tipperary Star, Cllr Liam Browne stated: “It is about safety for people doing the hobby and for the people who live around the hobby, the amount of sulkies on the road has increased phenomenally in the past 10 years. It’s become much more dangerous and we cannot ignore it and wait until somebody gets killed as we did with ‘Grace's Law’ in Dublin.”
When asked about providing facilities for sulky racing, he said it was a discussion worth having and that he would support dedicated tracks if it meant taking the activity off public roads.
However, he cautioned that there would be practical issues to resolve, including where such tracks would be located, who would use them, and how they would be funded and insured. Organisers say they intend to stage further demonstrations in Dublin and Limerick in the coming months.