Greyhound Racing Ireland ( ga, Rásaíocht Con Éireann,
formerly ga, Bord na gCon) is an
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
semi-state body charged with regulating and promoting
Greyhound racing in Ireland
Greyhound racing is a popular sport in Ireland. There are 17 stadiums operating in Ireland (two in Northern Ireland) of which nine are fully operated by Rásaíocht Con Éireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly named Irish Greyhound Board IGB ...
.
The organisation has been active in developing the sport in Ireland since its founding on 11 July 1958.
Greyhound Racing Ireland, formerly the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB), is a commercial semi-state body and reports to the
Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine ( ga, An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Bia agus Mara) is a department of the Government of Ireland. According to the department, its mission is to "lead the sustainable development of a competitive, con ...
.
History
The original governing body for Irish Greyhound Racing was established under the Greyhound Industry Act of 1958 with a number of aims. The body was formed to regulate the industry, operate a
tote betting system, licence and authorise each stadium, its officials, and its on-course
bookmaker
A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds.
History
The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795.
Range of events
Bookm ...
s, and promote the sport through advertising and prize grants.
It became responsible for all tracks in Ireland, with the exception of the Ulster tracks that would remain under the jurisdiction of the
Irish Coursing Club
The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the national association for hare coursing in Ireland. Founded in 1916, it consists of 89 affiliated clubs on the Island of Ireland and acts as the official authority for the Irish variety of the sport. It sol ...
.
Rásaíocht Con Éireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland report on the results of Northern Irish tracks, of which two remain today
Derry Greyhound Stadium and
Drumbo Park. The reason for the involvement is because Northern Irish tracks do not come under the jurisdiction of the
Greyhound Board of Great Britain
The Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) is the organisation that governs licensed greyhound racing in Great Britain. It does not govern independent tracks or Northern Irish tracks and therefore has no jurisdiction over them.
History
It was f ...
(GBGB). However the tracks do not receive funding or licensing from Greyhound Racing Ireland (Irish: Rásaíocht)
In 1960 a new totalisator system was installed at four tracks
Harolds Cross,
Shelbourne Park,
Cork and
Limerick
Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
, in addition to obtaining
Clonmel from the Morris family headed by T.A.Morris the former secretary of the
Irish Coursing Club
The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) is the national association for hare coursing in Ireland. Founded in 1916, it consists of 89 affiliated clubs on the Island of Ireland and acts as the official authority for the Irish variety of the sport. It sol ...
. Des Hanrahan became chairman of Bord na gCon in 1965 (taking over from Dr Paddy Maguire ) and actively sought to buy any Irish tracks in danger of being sold to developers. They bought Shelbourne Park in 1968.
Bord na gCon/ Irish Greyhound Board officially changed its name to Rásaíocht Con Éireann/ Greyhound Racing Ireland on 1 October 2020 as part of the implementation of the Greyhound Racing Act 2019. The provisions enacted provide for an expanded Governing Board of nine members as well as laying the foundation for a new traceability system for racing greyhounds; enhanced powers for authorised officers; a more robust and modern regulatory framework and ultimately the updating of racing sanctions to be administered by an independent Control Committee and an Appeal Committee, the members of which will be appointed by the Minister following an open selection process.
Irish Greyhound Care Fund
In August 2019, it was announced that a separate Care Fund dedicated to funding a variety of initiatives for the care and welfare of the greyhound was being established.
The Greyhound Care Fund is a fund that is dedicated to funding a variety of initiative for the care and welfare of the greyhound and the GRI is targeting the sum of €1 million to be raised for the Greyhound Care Fund in its first year of operation. The fund will accrue from the admissions and restaurant packages, a percentage of
tote income and sponsorship. Care Fund arrangements for Shelbourne Park were brought into effect from 21 August 2019 and other stadia came into effect from 1 November 2019.
Racing venues
Greyhound Racing Ireland regulates all of Ireland's greyhound racing venues. There are racing venues in the following locations:
Connacht
*Galway,
Galway Sportsgrounds
The Sportsground, also known as The Galway Sportsgrounds and the Galway Greyhound Stadium and the Connacht Rugby Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Galway, Ireland. It opened in 1927, with the playing of a football match and has been used to ...
Leinster
*Dublin,
Shelbourne Park
*Dundalk,
Dundalk Stadium
Dundalk Stadium is a horse and greyhound racing venue in Ireland. It is located to the north of Dundalk in County Louth.
The total build cost €35million with a modern grandstand, elevated viewing areas, restaurant and bars.
Horse racing
The ...
*Enniscorthy,
Enniscorthy Greyhound Stadium
Enniscorthy Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located on the west side of Enniscorthy
Enniscorthy () is the second-largest town in County Wexford, Ireland. At the 2016 census, the population of the town and environs was 11,381. T ...
*Kilkenny,
Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium
Kilkenny Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in north-west Kilkenny in Ireland.
The racing takes place on a Wednesday and Friday evenings at 6.30pm.
St James Park in Kilkenny is a large park that contains sports pitches to ...
*Mullingar,
Mullingar Greyhound Stadium
Mullingar Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in south Mullingar in Ireland. The stadium has a grandstand restaurant, a fast food outlet and a number of bars. Racing takes place on a Saturday evening at 7.30pm and early Sunday ...
*Newbridge,
Newbridge Greyhound Stadium
Newbridge Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located northwest of Newbridge, County Kildare, Ireland.
Racing takes place every Friday evening and the facilities include the grandstand Masters Restaurant and Barkers Bar which offers a ...
Munster
*Clonmel,
Clonmel Greyhound Stadium
Clonmel Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Clonmel, County Tipperary, Ireland.
Racing takes place every Friday and Sunday evening and the facilities include a grandstand restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars, ...
*Cork,
Curraheen Park
Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Bishopstown, west of Cork, County Cork, Ireland.
Racing takes place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening and the facilities include the grandstand Laurels restaurant, ...
*Limerick,
Limerick Greyhound Stadium
Limerick Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in south-west Limerick in Ireland.
The stadium has a grandstand restaurant, hospitality suites, fast food facilities and a number of bars. Racing takes place on a Thursday (6:30pm) ...
*Thurles,
Thurles Greyhound Stadium
Thurles Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located on Castlemeadows opposite the Semple Stadium in Thurles, County Tipperary, Ireland.
Racing takes place every Thursday and Saturday evening and the facilities include a trackside res ...
*Tralee,
Kingdom Greyhound Stadium
Kingdom Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland. It has been known as Oakview Park and the Tralee Greyhound Stadium previously.
Racing takes place every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday evening and the ...
*Waterford,
Kilcohan Park
Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track and former soccer stadium located in the south of Waterford, Ireland.
Operations
Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Race distances are 325, 525, 550, 575 and 731 ya ...
*Youghal,
Youghal Greyhound Stadium
Youghal Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located south of Youghal, County Cork, Ireland. The stadium is ten minutes walk from the town centre.
History
On 30 July 1948 a greyhound called Hackles Spring won the first ever race at Youg ...
See also
*
Greyhound racing in Ireland
Greyhound racing is a popular sport in Ireland. There are 17 stadiums operating in Ireland (two in Northern Ireland) of which nine are fully operated by Rásaíocht Con Éireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly named Irish Greyhound Board IGB ...
*
Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom
Greyhound racing is a sport in the United Kingdom. The industry uses a parimutuel betting tote system with on-course and off-course betting available. Attendances have declined in recent years, partly due to the decrease in evening fixtures with ...
*
Horse Racing Ireland
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI; ga, Rásaíocht Capaill na hÉireann) is the governing body of horse racing on the island of Ireland. It is based in the Curragh, County Kildare, next to the racecourse of that name. HRI was founded in 2001, succeedi ...
*
State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greyhound Racing Ireland
State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland
Greyhound racing
1958 establishments in Ireland
Greyhound racing in Ireland