The Sunday Times has revealed that an exclusion order against an Irish greyhound handler who was filmed participating in a barbaric blooding session in Australia has been rescinded by Greyhound Racing Ireland.
“Greyhound Racing Ireland fought off a challenge from Christopher Connolly who was served with an exclusion order for using a live piglet to train greyhounds in Australia,” the 18th July 2021 Sunday Times report outlined. “Last year [2020], GRI issued a legal bill of €169,000 to Connolly and said steps would be taken to ensure payment would be secured. Connolly’s exclusion order was rescinded last year as the five-year term originally ordered by Australian authorities had been reached.”
It is unclear what month the exclusion order - which prevented him from being at any greyhound track, coursing meeting or public sale of greyhounds - was rescinded.
On 1st May 2020, RTE reported that “a dog handler who used a live piglet as bait to train greyhounds has lost an appeal aimed at overturning his exclusion from racetracks or coursing events. Christopher Connolly, of Farney's Cross, Cappawhite, Co Tipperary, brought an appeal against a High Court's refusal in 2019 to quash a decision by Bord na gCon (Irish Greyhound Board), which regulates greyhound racing in Ireland, to exclude him from events.”
It added that in a 30 April 2020 judgment, “the three-judge appeal court, comprised of Ms Justice Caroline Costello, Ms Justice Ann Power and Mr Justice Brian Murray, unanimously dismissed his appeal”.
A document relating to a previous Court of Appeal judgement to dismiss an appeal by Connolly against the exclusion order, revealed that at an Irish Coursing Club Executive Committee Meeting on 9 May 2018, “it was decided to give consent to the exclusion order against Chris Connolly [and] it was also agreed that the Irish Greyhound Board should consider looking favourably on any request received from Mr Connolly to reside the Order on the expiration of the ban in Australia.”
It went on to state: “The following day, the Irish Coursing Club wrote to the Board consenting to the making of the exclusion order. Whilst recognising that an exclusion order in Ireland is open ended, the Irish Coursing Club observed that the appellant’s sanction in the state of Victoria would expire on 12 February 2020. As the exclusion order related directly to the incident which was the subject of the Victorian sanction, the ICC took the view that, subject to the appellant’s compliance with the conditions attached to the order, favourable consideration should be given to rescinding it at the time of the expiry of the sanction, if the appellant so requested.”
Connolly was “advised of the making of the exclusion order on 25 May 2018 and of the fact that the Board would consider any submissions made in respect of its revocation after the expiration date set down in the judgement of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal had passed.”
Previously, in August 2017 - after media coverage highlighting Connolly’s continued involvement in greyhound racing in Ireland - the Irish Greyhound Board moved to refuse kennelhand authorisation to Christopher Connolly.
This was two and a half years after the Australian investigative news programme Four Corners aired shocking video footage showing Connolly and another man removing muzzles from two greyhounds before the dogs were allowed to attack a tiny piglet who had been tied down and pulled in front of them. The piglet's screams of agony can be clearly heard https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2889281341187405
Following that programme, Connolly was subsequently disqualified from greyhound racing in Victoria, Australia until 2020 but on returning to Ireland he was allowed to continue working in greyhound racing here.
It is understood that only after the issue was raised by Senator Ronan Mullen and received significant media attention, including on RTE's Primetime, did Greyhound Racing Ireland (then the Irish Greyhound Board) move to refuse Connolly kennelhand authorisation. He appealed the decision but that appeal was rejected.
In its 2017 ruling, the Irish Greyhound Board stated: "the Committee was conscious it was a very serious matter which received huge publicity and notoriety and Bord na gCon [Irish Greyhound Board] had a responsibility to ensure the integrity of the sport of greyhound racing in Ireland. There was uncontroverted evidence that Mr Connolly pleaded guilty to three offences in Australia which were barbaric in nature and the Committee were of the view there should be no tolerance of such behaviour...The Committee accepted the decision in Australia was not binding in this jurisdiction but felt because of the seriousness of the issue, the Board was entitled to take the view Mr Connolly was not a 'fit and proper person' to hold a kennelhand authorisation."
Greyhound Racing Ireland didn't appear too concerned about protecting the so-called integrity of its "sport" when it allowed Connolly to resume involvement in greyhound racing after his disqualification in Australia. He even appeared in a photograph on the front page of the Sporting Press newspaper alongside the then Irish Greyhound Board chairman Phil Meaney and greyhound racing sponsor JP McManus. This was not the first time that the IGB chairman posed for a photograph alongside Connolly. In June 2016 (the year after the live baiting scandal was first exposed on Australian TV), both men appeared in a Kerryman newspaper photograph taken after a Boylesports-sponsored race.
Despite the appalling nature of the blooding incident, the Irish Greyhound Board at the time left the door open for Connolly, saying "The Committee were not in a position to give a time as to when it might be appropriate to revisit Mr Connolly’s [kennelhand] application. The Committee were conscious of the fact Mr Connolly received a ten year disqualification in Australia, five of which were suspended subject to Mr Connolly remaining of good behaviour and the Committee could only suggest Mr Connolly consider his options thereafter."
The original hearing in Australia heard that Connolly "left home at age 16 to work full-time as an assistant trainer with Mr Pat Buckley of Tipperary, Ireland, a greyhound trainer" [and brother of singer and hare coursing supporter Jimmy Buckley]. The Australian tribunal judge strongly condemned Connolly's participation in the blooding, saying "any involvement in such a barbaric and inhumane activity such as live animal baiting is abhorrent, vile and horrific. It is truly offending of a most serious nature."
The illegal practice of blooding greyhounds - using live rabbits, hares, kittens and other small animals - is a cruel training method believed to be widespread in Irish greyhound racing. One Irish Independent greyhound scene journalist noted: "The bald truth is that greyhound racing would not continue to exist without blooding. It follows that, with a constant greyhound population of close on 30,000, blooding must be widespread. Don't expect an admission of that from Bord na gCon [Greyhound Racing Ireland]."
SEE ALSO:
RTE NEWS: Man who used piglet to bait greyhounds loses appeal
https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2020/0430/1135879-christopher-connolly/
Despite the publicity surrounding the Australian blooding incident, Chris Connolly was pictured receiving a trophy from a Kerry Rose [Rose of Tralee contestant], after a greyhound won the “2015 Kerry Rose Contestants” final at the Kingdom Stadium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkKnEokjZ1w
A greyhound trainer who provided a statement of support for a man who participated in cruel live animal baiting has been named this year's Irish Greyhound Review PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR. Pat Buckley received the award on Monday evening at Shelbourne Park track in Dublin. A photo posted on the Irish Greyhound Board website featured Buckley along with IGB CEO Ger Dollard and the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Andrew Doyle. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/1935220319926850
An Irish greyhound trainer disqualified from greyhound racing in Australia after he was filmed participating in horrific live baiting is "not a 'fit and proper' person to hold a Kennelhand Authorisation" in Ireland https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1412223888893165/
A man banned from greyhound racing in Australia after he was filmed at a "barbaric and inhumane" live animal baiting session appears on the front page of this week's Sporting Press newspaper alongside Irish Greyhound Board chairman, Phil Meaney. Chris Connolly, who was disqualified in Victoria until 2020, is photographed with a greyhound who won a race at Limerick greyhound stadium last weekend. Also in the photo with Connolly and the IGB Chairman is JP McManus who sponsored the race. https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/photos/a.463548137094083/1278438938938328/?type=3
Dog handler challenges order banning him from greyhound events Christopher Connolly (25) was sanctioned in Australia in 2014 over use of piglet as live bait https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1793781017404115/