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Despite its stadiums being up to 91% empty at races last year, Greyhound Racing Ireland has laughably claimed there is a “growing popularity of greyhound racing amongst the public”.
The ridiculous statement appears in the body's 2023 annual report which deceitfully claims that “378,748 patrons attended greyhound racing events in 2023”. https://www.grireland.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/annual-reports/rce-2023-annual-report.pdf
This bloated figure does not actually represent the total number of patrons who visited tracks. It is hugely inflated by the inclusion of greyhound owners, greyhound trainers and track bookmakers.
This is a deliberate attempt to mislead and convey a level of public support for greyhound racing which does not exist. The entries by owners/trainers and bookmakers boost the “total attendance” figures by a massive 87,628.
As previously highlighted by ICABS, Greyhound Racing Ireland’s stadiums were between 70% and 91% empty at races last year – statistics which leave no doubt that the Irish public has largely rejected the cruel, dog-killing activity.
Attendance details for GRI tracks were released in response to a Dail Question from Paul Murphy TD (Solidarity-People Before Profit).
Limerick Stadium – headquarters of Greyhound Racing Ireland – was the emptiest GRI track at races in 2023. It has a stated capacity of “2,012 persons, between the ground and first floor” but recorded an average attendance of just 173, meaning it was around 91% empty at race meetings.
This was followed by Tralee Stadium (88% empty on average), Shelbourne Park (86% empty), Galway (83% empty), Youghal (83% empty), Waterford (81% empty), Curraheen Park (78% empty), Newbridge (73% empty) and Mullingar (70% empty).
Only two of Greyhound Racing Ireland’s tracks had an average paid attendance (i.e. not including children) greater than 170 people – they were Shelbourne Park Stadium (597) and Curraheen Park (281).
The other tracks had average paid attendance ranging from 164 down to 31 – Galway Stadium (164 people), Limerick (158), Newbridge (157), Tralee (133), Waterford (76), Mullingar (66) and Youghal (31).
The stats for privately-operated greyhound tracks also convey the Irish public's rejection of greyhound racing.
After initially claiming that breakdowns of private track attendances “do not exist”, GRI eventually released the stats which reveal very low attendances in 2023:
Clonmel track had an average attendance per race meeting of just 109. When “free of charge” entries (promotional, plus children) are excluded, the average number of those paying to enter was a mere 100. Clonmel track was on average 78% empty at race meetings in 2023.
At Enniscorthy track, the average attendance was 179, or 131 paid entries.
At Kilkenny track, the average attendance was 87. Just 65 of these paid to enter. The track was half empty at meetings.
At Thurles track, average attendance was 114, with just 86 paying to enter. This track has a stated capacity of 440 people and was therefore on average 74% empty at races.
As with GRI-owned tracks, the “attendance” statistics for private tracks were inflated by the inclusion of those involved in racing.
At Clonmel track, Greyhound Racing Ireland claimed the “total attendance” for all of 2023 was 16,494. 5,486 of these entries were by greyhound owners/trainers and bookies. Excluding these, the actual attendance drops to 11,008. 10,099 of these paid to enter.
At Enniscorthy, the total attendance for the year was presented as 19,176. With 4,640 greyhound owners/trainers and bookies subtracted, the actual attendance figure stood at 14,536 for the year. Just 10,646 was paid attendance.
At Kilkenny track, GRI claimed the total attendance for 2023 was 15,922. Minus the greyhound owners/trainers and bookies (totalling 7,045), the actual attendance emerges as 8,877. Just 6,661 of these were paid attendance.
At Thurles track, the attendance for 2023 was given as 8,974 but the breakdown shows that 3,275 of this was made up of greyhound owners/trainers and bookies. With these excluded, the actual attendance by members of the public drops dramatically to 5,699. Only 4,280 of these paid to enter.
Worryingly, a large proportion of attendance at these gambling venues was made up of minors. A total of 20,235 entries were made by children at GRI and private tracks last year. They are exposed to a gambling environment where they see betting normalised. This at a time when there is a gambling addiction epidemic in Ireland, with efforts to steer the next generation away from betting.
Growing awareness about suffering and death in greyhound racing is undoubtedly a contributing factor in low attendances. At races around Ireland in 2023, 257 greyhounds were injured and 134 killed. Since 2014, at least 3,485 greyhounds sustained injuries and 1,290 died or were killed at races. The Greyhound Racing Ireland figures are based on “reported” injuries and deaths, suggesting that the actual number could be even higher. They do not include the greyhounds injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere, or the thousands of greyhounds who are killed behind the scenes every year because they are not fast enough to win races.
ICABS has brought the low level of public interest in greyhound racing and the misleading “attendance” figures to the attention of Finance Minister Jack Chambers as part of an appeal to him to stop ploughing millions of euros of taxpayers' money into this unpopular and dying “industry”. Since 2001, over €347 million in funding has been shamefully handed over to Greyhound Racing Ireland, including €19 million for 2024.
ACTION ALERT
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at greyhound tracks.
Urge the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to end the state funding that is keeping the dying greyhound “industry” afloat.
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Roderic O'Gorman TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: (01) 6642052
Email: roderic.ogorman@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RodericOG/
X: https://x.com/rodericogorman
Mary Lou McDonald TD
Leader, Sinn Fein
Tel: (01) 727 7102
Email: marylou.mcdonald@oireachtas.ie
X: https://twitter.com/MaryLouMcDonald
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MaryLouMcDonaldTD
Please sign and share the 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
SEE ALSO
Greyhound Racing Ireland’s tracks 70% to 91% EMPTY at races in 2023
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/04/07/greyhound-racing-irelands-tracks-70-to-91-empty-at-races-in-2023/
96 greyhounds killed at Irish tracks in the first six months of 2024
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/07/17/96-greyhounds-killed-at-irish-tracks-in-the-first-six-months-of-2024/
Raced to death: 134 greyhounds killed at races in Ireland in 2023
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2024/03/15/raced-to-death-134-greyhounds-killed-at-races-in-ireland-in-2023/
Youghal track: Average race attendance of just 3 people
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/07/04/youghal-track-average-race-attendance-of-just-3-people/
Shelbourne Park greyhound stadium 35% empty for derby final
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/10/17/shelbourne-park-greyhound-stadium-35-empty-for-derby-final/
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM