Taxpayer-funded Greyhound Racing Ireland has announced a €2.3 million plan for an “enhancement and improvement of facilities at Shelbourne Park” - a stadium that has seen a massive fall in attendance.
The cash injection has been approved despite a May 2020 Indecon report commissioned by Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly the Irish Greyhound Board) showing that more and more people are staying away from greyhound tracks, including Shelbourne Park. And, according to the report, the "greyhound industry is likely to experience a continued decline in attendance levels".
"The greyhound racing industry in Ireland has witnessed a significant decline in attendance over the last decade," the report outlined. "While 1.1 million attended races in 2008, this fell by 55% to just over 0.5 million by 2018...2019 has also shown a further negative impact which is likely to exacerbate the pre-existing long-term decline".
Attendance figures for January and February of 2020 confirmed that the decline had continued. In January, attendance fell 30% from 24,073 to 16,841 - a drop of 7,232. In February, the drop was even larger, with attendances a total of 8,682 less compared to February 2019. (from 31,354 to 22,672)
Greyhound Racing Ireland is proceeding with a €2,300,000 enhancement of Shelbourne Park - to “significantly improve the overall customer experience at the venue” - despite figures showing that the Dublin track sustained a massive 36% drop in attendance in January 2020 - down by 2,168 to 3,752, compared to the same month in 2019. Attendance continued to fall at Shelbourne Park in February 2020 - compared to February 2019, it was down by 41% (3,730) to 5,240.
GRI says the development is being funded by “proceeds from the 2018 sale of Harold’s Cross greyhound stadium” and other unspecified “funding streams”.
The government - via the Department of Education - paid out €23 million for Harold’s Cross - a track which was believed to be worth less than half of that.
In 2015, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Tom Hayes put the value at €2 - €3 million (without rezoning) and €10 million or €12 million (with rezoning). Speaking during a Committee of Public Account debate in 2017, the year before it was sold, Marc McSharry TD (also an auctioneer) estimated that the value of the 6-acre Harold's Cross site with its then zoning was “probably €750,000 per acre” (€4.5 million) or €1.5 million per acre (€9 million) if it got rezoned.
According to Greyhound Racing Ireland, the latest plans for Shelbourne Park “may include a possible relocation of the kennel block facility to the stadium side of the development [to] ensure that patrons attending at Shelbourne Park would see first-hand the care and attention being given to racing greyhounds”.
Patrons certainly may see, first-hand, dogs suffering falls and crying out in pain before being carried away to be killed. Shelbourne Park is one of the worst tracks in Ireland for greyhound injuries and deaths. At least 196 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 46 were killed by a track vet over the past six years alone, sickening GRI statistics show. Among the victims are a greyhound carried away bleeding with a leg bone “popped out” and another, Ballymac Syd, who collapsed after a race and died of a heart attack.
Greyhound Racing Ireland tried to hide the August 2019 death of Ballymac Syd. It came to light on the Greyhound Star website which reported: “The poor dog was having a heart attack. We managed to get him to the van and I started compressions but the tongue had already gone blue. He died shortly afterwards.” There was no mention on the GRI website of the heart attack or the dog dying. Incredibly, in a notice posted on the GRI website three days after Ballymac Syd died, the dog was listed among three dogs “withdrawn from the second round of the Boylesports Derby”. “In Heat 3, Ballymac Syd will be a non-runner from trap four,” the GRI website stated.
Shelbourne Park also hides video footage of dogs suffering falls at the stadium. The latest of many instances of footage being withheld relates to Races 10 and 11 yesterday, 13 March 2021 during which three greyhounds were knocked over at the first bend.
The video for Race 13 on Tuesday, 9th March 2021 is also unavailable on the GRI website. In that race, Cashmere Gigi was knocked over. Similarly, no footage has been published for Race 1 - the “Welcome To Shelbourne Park A2 525” race - on 6th March 2021 which saw greyhound Southside Bandit knocked over. He “did not finish” the race. It is unknown if he suffered an injury in the fall.
ACTION ALERT
STOP THE STATE FUNDING FOR GREYHOUND RACING
Another €19.2 million of scarce public funds has been granted to greyhound racing for 2021. Since 2001, greyhound racing has received more than a quarter of a billion euros of taxpayers' money. Please contact your local TDs and demand that they oppose the 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 Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to stop the funding and back a ban on cruel greyhound racing
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
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Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
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Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
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
Please support our campaign with a donation
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SEE ALSO: Government to pay €23 million for track that may be worth €2 million
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1361662603949294
Watch RTE’s award-winning "Greyhounds Running For Their Lives" documentary
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM