A primary school in County Cork is being urged to scrap a fundraiser at a greyhound track where dogs suffer and die.
Details of St. Senan's National School’s "Night at the Dogs" at Curraheen Park track appear on its website. https://www.cloghroens.com/night-at-the-dogs---tickets--info.html
The under-funded shool is aiming to raise money to cover some of the costs for a "drop and go" joint school and church car park.
In an email to the school’s principal Shane Fennessy, ICABS stated: “It is deeply disappointing that your school has chosen a greyhound track as a fundraising location - not only due to the suffering and death that occurs there but also because it is a gambling venue. The fundraiser will introduce attending children to a gambling environment where placing bets is normalised and presented as an exciting experience. While minors are not permitted to place bets, they will see prominent 'download our betting app' signs and be exposed to on-site tote betting at tables where they are seated. For many, this will be their first introduction to gambling."
"We are confident that if the children of St. Senan's National School were aware of the awful cruelty and killing that occurs in greyhound racing, they would not want to go anywhere near a greyhound track,” we added.
We told the principal that in the past 11 years alone, 4,040 greyhounds have suffered injuries at tracks around Ireland and 1,593 were killed.
This includes 263 injuries and 96 deaths at Curraheen Park track.
Thousands more are killed behind the scenes every year because they are not fast enough to win races.
It is deplorable that while schools are forced to fundraise for vital facilities, greyhound racing automatically gets millions of euros of taxpayers' money every year. Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received €386,806,146 in grants, including €19 million for 2024, €19.82 million for 2025 and another €19.82 million for 2026. Greyhound Racing Ireland has repeatedly cited fundraising at tracks as a justification for the continued state grants.
Join us in urging the government to stop funding unpopular greyhound racing and instead redirect the money to the schools, sports clubs, community groups and animal rescue centres crying out for support.
ACTION ALERT
Appeal to St. Senan's National School to say NO to greyhound racing and choose a different form of fundraising.
Shane Fennessy
School Principal
St. Senan's National School
Cloghroe, Co. Cork
Email: oifig@cloghroens.ie; fundraising@cloghroens.ie
Urge the Minister for Education and Youth to intervene to advise schools about the inappropriateness of fundraising at greyhound tracks and exposing impressionable youngsters to a gambling environment.
Hildegarde Naughton
Minister for Education and Youth
Tel: (01) 618 3198
Email: hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HildegardeNaughton
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at greyhound tracks.
Urge the leaders of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein to end the state funding that is keeping the dying greyhound “industry” afloat.
Micheál Martin TD
Leader, Fianna Fail
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Tel: 01 619 4000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
X: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Simon Harris TD
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01 281 3727
Email: simon.harris@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
X: http://www.twitter.com/SimonHarrisTD
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DeputySimonHarris
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
GREYHOUND INJURIES AND DEATHS AT TRACKS AROUND IRELAND – 2025
Clonmel: 18 injured - 11 killed, 6 treated, 1 fatality
Curraheen Park: 30 injured - 9 killed, 20 treated, 1 fatality
Dundalk: 12 injured - 10 killed, 2 treated
Enniscorthy: 19 injured - 11 killed, 8 treated
Galway: 16 injured - 10 killed, 5 treated, 1 fatality
Kilkenny: 18 injured - 11 killed, 6 treated, 1 fatality
Lifford: 27 injured - 15 killed, 11 treated, 1 fatality
Limerick: 40 injured - 24 killed, 16 treated
Mullingar: 33 injured - 14 killed, 19 treated
Newbridge: 8 injured - 8 killed, 0 treated
Shelbourne Park: 39 injured - 15 killed, 24 treated
Thurles: 17 injured - 8 killed, 8 treated, 1 fatality
Tralee: 27 injured - 11 killed, 16 treated
Kilcohan Park / Waterford: 16 injured - 13 killed, 3 treated
Youghal: 24 injured - 21 killed, 3 treated
Total: 344 injured - 191 killed, 147 treated, 6 fatalities
CURRAHEEN PARK
11 January 2025: Curraheen Park, Right wrist injury, Treated
17 January 2025: Curraheen Park, Right elbow injury, Treated
25 January 2025: Curraheen Park, Wound on toe, Treated
22 February 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
01 March 2025: Curraheen Park, Small wound on left fore, Treated
07 March 2025: Curraheen Park, Right hock ligament injury, Treated
05 April 2025: Curraheen Park, Right hock fracture, Euthanised by track vet
05 April 2025: Curraheen Park, Right hock hyper-extension, Treated
12 April 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
19 April 2025: Curraheen Park, Dislocated toe, Treated
25 April 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured left hock, Euthanised by track vet
9 May 2025: Curraheen Park, Wound on left metatarsal, Treated
10 May 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured left wrist, Treated
16 May 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
16 May 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Treated
20 June 2025: Curraheen Park, Tore gracilis muscle, Treated
21 June 2025: Curraheen Park, Cut toe, Treated
21 June 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured metatarsal, Treated
26 July 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Treated
8 August 2025: Curraheen Park, Left wrist injury, Treated
9 August 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
9 August 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right wrist, Treated
4 October 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
11 October 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Treated
18 October 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Treated
8 November 2025: Curraheen Park, Post mortem inconclusive, Racing Fatality
14 November 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
22 November 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Euthanised by track vet
29 November 2025: Curraheen Park, Fractured right hock, Treated
6 December 2025: Curraheen Park, Dislocated left hind toe, Treated
REPORTED GREYHOUND INJURIES AND DEATHS AT IRISH TRACKS
2025: 344 injuries, 197 deaths
2024: 389 injuries, 202 deaths
2023: 257 injuries, 134 deaths
2022: 287 injuries. 122 deaths
2021: 351 injuries. 154 deaths
2020: 255 injuries. 90 deaths
2019: 332 injuries. 119 deaths
2018: 353 injuries. 121 deaths
2017: 357 injuries. 124 deaths
2016: 427 injuries. 139 deaths
2015: 422 injuries. 122 deaths
2014: 266 injuries. 69 deaths (July to Dec 2014)
Irish Government grants to greyhound racing
2001 €11,777,583
2002 €13,613,163
2003 €12,837,200
2004 €13,382,800
2005 €13,670,000
2006 €14,012,000
2007 €14,572,000
2008 €15,257,000
2009 €13,625,600
2010 €11,852,800
2011 €11,460,000
2012 €11,258,000
2013 €11,004,000
2014 €10,844,000
2015 €13,600,000
2016 €14,800,000
2017 €16,000,000
2018 €16,000,000
2019 €16,800,000
2020 €16,800,000
2021 €19,200,000
2022 €17,600,000
2023 €18,200,000
2024 €19,000,000
2025 €19,820,000
2026 €19,820,000