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Despite knowing about all the cruelty and killing in greyhound racing, Virgin Media is again giving coverage to the activity this evening (23 November 2024).
Virgin has shamefully disregarded appeals to show compassion and reject dog racing.
A notice on the Virgin Media website shows that “coverage of the final of the Irish Greyhound Derby at Shelbourne Park” in Dublin will be broadcast on Virgin Media 3 from 9pm.
In October, Virgin gave coverage to “the final of the Irish Greyhound Laurels” at Curraheen Park track in Cork.
A July 2023 report in the Business Post outlined that “Virgin Media, thanks to a favourable offer from [Greyhound Racing Ireland], opted to show greyhound racing last year after RTÉ abandoned its derby coverage. Virgin was criticised on social media but was understood to be delighted with the deal.”
Virgin televised race meetings in 2022 in exchange for a €40,000 payment from Greyhound Racing Ireland. This followed a decision by RTE to drop greyhound racing, further to horrific revelations of animal cruelty in its award-winning Greyhounds Running for Their Lives documentary.
Shame on Virgin Media for providing a platform to an activity that is responsible for the deaths of thousands of dogs each year.
In an appeal to Virgin to reject greyhound racing, the Irish Council Against Blood Sport stated: “Virgin Media should NOT be promoting this cruel, dog-killing activity – the public wants to see greyhound racing ended and not given a platform on national television.”
We pointed to the “Greyhounds Running for Their Lives” documentary which exposed the horrors of greyhound racing, including the behind-the-scenes killing every year of an estimated 6,000 greyhounds.
Greyhounds also suffer and die at tracks. At least 323 greyhounds suffered injuries at Shelbourne Park and 95 died or were killed by a track vet over the past 10 years alone. This includes 29 injuries / 16 deaths in 2023 and 16 injuries / 6 deaths in the first six months of 2024.
At races around Ireland in the past 11 years, at least at least 3,485 greyhounds suffered injuries and 1,290 died or were killed.
Responding to concerns expressed last year, Virgin Media TV's then Managing Director Paul Farrell commented: “Virgin Media Television is a commercial broadcaster, and we rely totally on commercial revenues to support our business and our employees, as such we do not see it as our role to pre-judge or limit the range and choice of content we provide across our channels.”
The track death figures brought to Virgin Media’s attention represent only the tip of the iceberg. A damning report which Greyhound Racing Ireland attempted to hide, revealed that around 6,000 greyhounds are killed every year because they don’t make the grade. The report estimated that, for example, a total of 17,962 greyhounds were culled in 2013, 2014 and 2015. They were killed for “failure to produce qualifying times”, “failure to produce desired entry level times” and for an “unacceptable decline in performance”.
The suffering and death continues thanks to massive financial support from the government. As mentioned in the Business Post article, “without state aid, the sport would collapse”.
Since 2001, over €366 million in funding has been shamefully handed over to Greyhound Racing Ireland, including €19 million for 2024 and €19.82 million for 2025. It’s time for politicians to stop the funding and allow unpopular greyhound racing to die a death.
A RED C opinion poll commissioned by the Irish Council Against Blood Sports confirms that a two-thirds majority of people want the government to stop this funding (with just 16% in favour of it continuing). The latest survey - carried out by Norstat on behalf of GREY2K USA Worldwide found that 70% oppose greyhound racing subsidies, while only 11% support them.
Petitions urging the government to end the funding have more than 400,000 signatures.
ACTION ALERT
Please support the Alliance For Animal Rights' #BanGreyhoundRacing demo outside Shelbourne Park Stadium #Dublin today, Saturday 23rd November from 5.15 to 7.15pm.
Join us in urging Virgin Media to show compassion and stop televising greyhound racing.
Áine Ní Chaoindealbháin
Managing Director, Virgin Media Television
Tony Hanway
CEO, Virgin Media Ireland
Email: achaoindealbhain@virginmediatelevision.ie; Tony.Hanway@virginmedia.ie; vmtvinfo@virginmedia.ie; vmtvcomplaints@virginmedia.ie
Telephone Virgin Media: +353 (0)1 245 8000
Tweet to: @VirginMedia_TV @VirginMediaIE @VMSportIE
Find out more about greyhound injuries and deaths at races
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2019/03/27/greyhound-injuries-and-deaths-at-irish-greyhound-tracks/
Please join us in telling the government to STOP the massive grants that are propping up this cruel, dog-killing gambling activity.
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
Appeal to the leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, the Green Party, Sinn Fein and Labour to stop the funding and back a ban on cruel greyhound racing
Taoiseach Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Telephone: +353 (0)1 618 3805 or +353 (0)1 889 2442
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: 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/
Twitter: https://x.com/rodericogorman
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
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
Watch RTE’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary
https://youtu.be/ZYTb2qBjlMM
SEE ALSO
Virgin Media got €40,000 for televising greyhound racing
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/03/05/virgin-media-got-e40000-for-televising-greyhound-racing/
Owner of greyhound in Virgin Media broadcast was previously fined €5,500
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/09/26/owner-of-greyhound-in-virgin-media-broadcast-was-previously-fined-e5500/
Virgin Media urged to scrap plan to televise greyhound racing
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/08/12/virgin-media-urged-to-scrap-plan-to-televise-greyhound-racing/