Money raised for Haiti at a coursing event has been refused by overseas development charity Goal after protests by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports.
A Goal official, when told about the origin of the donation, said they would not be accepting the money but Lisa O'Shea, Goal's head of fundraising, subsequently told the Irish Times that they would accept the donation.
Lisa O’Shea said that while Goal did not carry out this fundraising initiative itself, the charity would be happy to accept the donation because she didn't see "why people in Haiti should suffer" just because some people objected to certain activities.
The Irish Council Against Blood Sports had contacted Goal to protest about how the money was raised.
Bookmaker Boylesports sponsored a series of charity bets at the national meeting of the Irish Coursing Club in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, earlier this week which had raised a "significant" sum.
Following the controversy the money will be given to a greyhound welfare charity.
DJ Histon, chief executive of the Irish Coursing Club, expressed disappointment and called on the Irish Council Against Blood Sports to replace the sum that Goal would not now be receiving.
www.goal.ie
