(l-r) NARGC Chairman Sean Doris, Minister for Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan, FACE Europe President Gilbert De Turckheim, and FACE-Ireland Chairman Oliver Russell / Noel Mullins photo

Irish Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan gave the keynote address at a two-day meeting of FACE (Federation of Associations for Hunting and Conservation) during Ireland’s presidency of the EU in Dublin. In sharp contrast to the attitude of his predecessor, Minister Deenihan’s presence was a welcome breath of fresh air to supporters of hunting, wildlife preservation, and the countryside in Ireland.

FACE is an international organisation that builds bridges between European legislative bodies and the representatives of civil society who stand for sustainable hunting and conservation in Europe. As such, it represents the interests of seven million hunters in thirty-eight countries including the twenty-seven EU countries, making it the largest democratically representative body for hunters in the world.