Attendance at greyhound tracks around Ireland fell by a massive 15,914 in the first two months of 2020, an economic report commissioned by the Irish Greyhound Board has revealed.
The Indecon report, published earlier this month, shows that more and more people are turning their backs on cruel greyhound racing and staying away from tracks.
Attendance has plummeted by more than 50 per cent in the past decade and the downward trend has continued into 2020.
In January and February respectively, numbers dropped by 7,232 (30%) and 8,682 (28%), compared to the same period last year.
The authors of the report predicted that the "greyhound industry is likely to experience a continued decline in attendance levels" and that the decline will "CONTINUE OR ACCELERATE".
"The greyhound racing industry in Ireland has witnessed a significant decline in attendance over the last decade," the report outlines. "While 1.1 million attended races in 2008, this fell by 55% to just over 0.5 million by 2018."
It adds that "2019 has also shown a further negative impact which is likely to exacerbate the pre-existing long-term decline" and that the latest attendance figures for January and February of this year "show that this decline has continued".
A breakdown of the figures shows that the Irish Greyhound Board's Dublin track, Shelbourne Park, sustained a massive 36% drop in attendance in January - down by 2,168 to 3,752, compared to the same month last year. Attendance continued to fall at Shelbourne Park in February - down 41% from 8,970 to 5,240.
The track had seen twice-weekly protests since the broadcast of the "RTE Investigates: Greyhounds Running for Their Lives" documentary which lead to nationwide boycotts of greyhound racing and several companies and tourist firms disassociating from it. The shocking RTE documentary uncovered the horrors of greyhound racing, including the annual killing of 6,000 greyhounds not fast enough to win races. The programme featured disturbing video footage of greyhounds being delivered to a knackery where they were shot in the head and dumped in a skip.
The IGB's tracks outside Dublin saw a 21% drop in attendance in January/February, while attendance at privately-owned tracks plunged 43% in January and 20% in February.
Also down for both months was the average number of people attending races, income from food/drinks sales and tote operations and the numbers of races, race meetings and runners. February also saw a fall in income from SIS media rights.
In its report, Indecon notes that "the sector would NOT be financially sustainable if the decline in attendance continues and if the existing cost base is not reduced". It also notes that the losses incurred have only been sustainable because of ongoing support from the state. Highlighted in the report were two grants of €1,400,000 for both January and February - part of the €16.8 million of taxpayers' money shamefully handed over by the government to prop up greyhound racing in 2020.
Read the full Indecon report at
https://igb.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/indecon/independent-indecon-assessment-of-issues-arising-on-consultation-submissions-05.05.20.pdf
Watch the "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary on the RTE Player https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/rt%C3%A9-investigates-greyhounds-running-for-their-lives/104051751967 or on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
ACTION ALERT
Say NO to cruel greyhound racing - don't attend races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties at greyhound tracks.
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Another €16.8 million of scarce public funds has been approved for greyhound racing for 2020. Since 2001, greyhound racing has received more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money. A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports found that a two-thirds majority want an end to state grants to greyhound racing. Please contact your local TDs and demand that they vote against this funding. Visit the Oireachtas website for contact details for TDs https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/33
Urge the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Labour (who back the grants every year) to stop the funding.
Leo Varadkar
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Leave a comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Micheál Martin
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Leave a comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Alan Kelly TD
Leader, Labour Party
Tel: 067 34190
Email: alan.kelly@oir.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alankellytd/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alankellylabour
TELL SPONSORS TO STOP THEIR SPONSORSHIP.
Boycott businesses which continue to support cruel greyhound racing.
Please get in contact with Glanbia and ask it to permanently end all sponsorship/support of greyhound racing and hare coursing.
Jim Bergin
CEO, Glanbia
Glanbia House,
Kilkenny, Ireland
Telephone: +353 (0)56-777 2200
Email: corporatecomms@glanbia.com, info@gainanimalnutrition.com
Tweet to: @GlanbiaPlc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GAINpetnutrition/
Appeal to the Kerry Group (the company behind Pure sunflower/soya spread, Dairygold, LowLow, etc) to stop sponsoring greyhound racing.
Kerry Group
Phone: +353 (0)66 718 2000
Prince’s Street, Tralee, Co. Kerry
Email VIA: https://www.kerrygroup.com/help/contact-form/
Please sign and share petitions
Stop supporting the cruel greyhound industry
https://www.change.org/p/stop-supporting-the-cruel-greyhound-industry
GAA: Stop club fundraisers at greyhound tracks
https://www.change.org/p/gaa-stop-club-fundraisers-at-greyhound-tracks
Tell Gain Pet Nutrition to Stop Sponsoring Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/jimtracy-glanbia-ie-tell-gain-pet-nutrition-to-stop-sponsoring-greyhound-racing
Please support our campaign with a donation
https://www.paypal.me/banbloodsports