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The Minister for Children and the GAA are being urged to act to stop Greyhound Racing Ireland’s targeting of young club members.
The latest call follows a disturbing video published on the Greyhound Racing Ireland Youtube Channel showing children from GAA clubs parading along Limerick greyhound track, walking past betting banners and holding up signs wishing "good luck" to a greyhound https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xngBBa2T-WY
According to a report in the Limerick Leader, "Limerick GAA clubs get a share of the event fund, with each greyhounds in the event assigned to a GAA, LGFA, Camogie or Handball club. The winning greyhound's assigned GAA club wins a nominator prize of 10,000 and a free benefit night at Limerick Greyhound Stadium."
The “Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Final” event was sponsored by billionaire businessman JP McManus (who in 2018 donated €3.2 million to the GAA) and his wife Noreen McManus.
In a Racing Post report, GRI chairman Frank Nyhan described the race as “the shop window for the best young greyhounds that are the backbone of many Irish rural communities, Greyhound Racing Ireland and the GAA.”
JP McManus – from Limerick but tax-resident in Switzerland since the 1990s – has also sponsored cruel hare coursing. At a coursing event sponsored by him at Limerick Racecourse, the Irish Council Against Bloods Sports filmed hares being hit and severely mauled by greyhounds. One hare hit by the dogs could be clearly heard crying out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zcx9n7SEpTI
When ICABS last year urged the Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman to take action to stop children being targeted by Greyhound Racing Ireland, we were told that there was “no action the Minister can take”.
In our latest message to the Green Party Minister, we stated: “It is reckless for a semi-state group to lure children to gambling venues. It is completely unacceptable that, at a time when Ireland is in the midst of a gambling addiction epidemic, GRI is introducing the next generation to a gambling activity.”
“Youngsters are considered to be most at risk to the gambling industry, of which greyhound racing is a part. We implore you therefore, as Minister for Children, to act to protect them,” we added.
GRI tracks have for years been trying to lure kids in with offers of toy vouchers, free meals and colouring competitions.
In a 5-year strategic plan, Greyhound Racing Ireland (then the Irish Greyhound Board) stressed the importance of "encouragement of the younger generation as spectators and regular attendees at greyhound race meetings".
On a "Go Greyhound Racing" website, GRI suggested that parents introduce their children to racing, saying "going greyhound racing is something totally different, especially if your children haven’t done anything like it before. It gives them something new to look forward to and perhaps even a new hobby to embrace." Parents have also been encouraged to choose tracks as venues for communion and confirmation parties, with the offer of "a €5 Toy Store Voucher for the Communion/Confirmation Child", a free meal and "Communion/Confirmation child's name in the race programme".
Among the tracks that have presented greyhound racing as "family-friendly" is Mullingar stadium - one the worst in Ireland for greyhound injuries and deaths.
On its webpage, it has stated: "Greyhound racing is one of those rare occasions that all the family can enjoy together. And the fact that the races take place every twelve minutes or so means that children, in particular, have plenty to keep them interested - the kids can...have a ball watching the action".
Tracks have also tried to attract youngsters to racing via primary school and GAA club fundraisers.,
Last year, Senator Lynn Boylan condemned Greyhound Racing Ireland’s targeting of children by advertising Holy Communion greyhound racing parties on its website. Speaking during a Seanad debate on the Future of Gambling Regulation (23 April 2021), Senator Boylan commented: “I would encourage the Minister to go on Greyhound Racing Ireland’s website...dog tracks are still continuing to offer communion and confirmation parties to families with at-table betting. For as little as 35 euro per table, you can bring your family along for their communion. And it was only as recent as 2019, when the gaming and lotteries legislation was passed, that the child as young as the ones who are making their communion were able to actually participate in that tote betting.” The statement was made as part of a speech in which she described Ireland as “the Wild West of gambling” and noted that “problem gambling is a huge problem” which successive governments have “done nothing to reign in” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXkS032Cio
“We trust you will agree that, with gambling addiction an ever growing problem in Ireland, it is completely unacceptable for a semi-state body to encourage children to visit gambling venues,” we stated in our appeal to Minister O’Gorman. “We urge you to act to stop these promotions and insist that greyhound tracks are off-limits to youngsters.”
“We also renew our appeal to you and your colleagues in government to completely stop the funding that is propping up cruel greyhound racing, an activity which causes much suffering and death to dogs and which our national tourism bodies Failte Ireland and Tourism Ireland have both stopped promoting due to fears it damages Ireland's international image,” we added.
ACTION ALERT
Contact the Minister for Children and urge him to act to stop Greyhound Racing Ireland from targeting children through communion/confirmation party promotions, colouring competitions and school and sports club fundraisers. Tell him that gambling venues where dogs suffer and die could never be family-friendly and should be shut down.
Roderic O’Gorman TD (Green Party)
Minister for Children
Tel: 01-647 3000
Email: minister@dcya.gov.ie
https://twitter.com/rodericogorman
https://www.facebook.com/RodericOG
Urge the GAA’s National Children's Officer to act
Email: nationalchildrensofficer@gaa.ie
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at greyhound tracks. Please join us in urging the government to ban greyhound racing or at least end the state funding that is keeping the dying gambling activity afloat.
Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has been granted more than a QUARTER OF A BILLION EUROS, including €16.8 million for 2020, €19.2 million for 2021 and €17.6 million for 2022. This is unacceptable and must be stopped.
Please contact your local TDs and urge them to oppose 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 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: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 4350
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
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
Ivana Bacik TD
Leader, The Labour Party
Tel: (01) 6183136
Email: ivana.bacik@oireachtas.ie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ivanabacik
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bacikivana/
Please sign and share the petitions
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
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM