A greyhound track has been removed from the website of Youghal Chamber of Tourism and Development.
The page for the unpopular Youghal greyhound stadium was deleted from the Chamber’s online business directory earlier this year. It had encouraged people to visit the venue for a “wonderful night’s entertainment for all the family”.
Statistics released by Greyhound Racing Ireland this week show that zero family tickets were purchased at Youghal track in 2022. The stats reveal that the public is staying away from the track – average attendance at race meetings there last year was a mere 18.
It was reported in January that Greyhound Racing Ireland “intends to close [Youghal track] down”. This follows a recommendation in a GRI-commissioned Indecon economic report that the loss-making track be shut.
Local TDs Sean Sherlock (Labour) and James O’Connor (Fianna Fail) have shamefully pushed for it to remain open. This despite all the injuries and deaths at the track and revelations that thousands of dogs are mercilessly killed behind the scenes in greyhound racing every year because they are not fast enough to win races.
The Irish Examiner reported on 21 January 2023 that Tánaiste Micheál Martin met the lease holders of the track, spoke with them for almost 15 minutes and agreed to bring their concerns to the attention of Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue.
In a letter to the Tanaiste, ICABS drew his attention to a RED C poll which found that a two-thirds majority want the government to stop ploughing millions of euros of taxpayers’ money into this dog-killing gambling activity.
In July 2020, the Irish Council Against Bloodsports urged Youghal Chamber to stop encouraging families to visit Youghal greyhound track, not only because of the suffering and death of dogs but also due the track being rated “VERY POOR” for fire safety.
According to a November 2019 Indecon report, Youghal greyhound stadium was “judged to be in poor condition and merited a rating of ‘very poor’ on fire safety”. Read the report at https://www.igb.ie/globalassets/report-pdfs/indecon/indecon-independent-strategic-review-of-irish-greyhound-racing-stadia-december-2019.pdf#page=85
Despite this serious fire safety warning, Youghal Chamber had continued to promote the venue to families.
In an appeal to Youghal Chamber to disassociate from greyhound racing, we highlighted the fire safety issue and also pointed out that tourism bodies Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland both stopped promoting greyhound racing, due to fears that it damages Ireland’s reputation as a tourist destination https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/shane-ross-immoral-dog-racing-will-deter-tourists-982nwhwb9
“Instead of promoting greyhound racing, Youghal Chamber should recognise that this cruel, dog-killing activity is bad for your town’s image and is more likely to repel potential tourists than attract them,” we stated. “More and more people are rejecting greyhound racing – evident in a 50 per cent fall in track attendances in the past decade.”
Over the past eight years alone, at least 109 greyhounds have suffered injuries at Youghal track and 51 were killed, sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show.
Youghal track was the worst in the country for greyhound deaths in 2022. 36 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 16 were killed between January and December. That was the highest number of annual injuries and deaths at the track since records began.
The latest deaths at the track included the killing of three greyhounds at a single meeting on 7th November 2022. The unfortunate dogs were destroyed after suffering hock fracture, wrist fracture and ruptured tendon. They were among five greyhounds injured at the meeting – the other two were treated for hock injuries.
Two greyhounds were also destroyed at a meeting on 30th May and another two at a meeting on 17th August. All four had suffered fractured hocks.
Greyhounds were also killed at trial events held at Youghal track. Two greyhounds who sustained hock injuries were destroyed at trials on 12 January and 26 March 2022.
Other injuries recorded at Youghal track included spinal injury, leg fracture, wrist fracture, toe fracture, shoulder injury and muscle injury.
The horrors of greyhound racing were exposed in the award-winning “RTE Investigates: Greyhounds running for their lives” documentary which revealed that around 6,000 dogs are killed every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. It included disturbing scenes of dogs being delivered to knackeries to be shot in the head. One shot dog was seen writhing on the ground in agony as his merciless owner drove away https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYTb2qBjlMM
ACTION ALERT
Don’t go greyhound racing or attend events at greyhound tracks. Please join us in urging the government to end the state funding that is keeping the dying greyhound “industry” afloat.
Since 2001, over €309 million in funding has been handed over to Greyhound Racing Ireland, including €19.2 million for 2021, €17.6 million for 2022 and €18.2 million for 2023. It’s time for politicians to stop the funding and allow unpopular greyhound racing to die a death. Please contact your local TDs now 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: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: 021-432 0088
Leinster House: 01–618 3000
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
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradka
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
Irish Government: Stop Giving Millions of Euro to Cruel Greyhound Racing
https://www.change.org/p/irish-government-stop-giving-millions-of-euro-to-cruel-greyhound-racing
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:
Youghal track: Average of just 18 attended races in 2022
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/03/15/youghal-track-average-of-just-18-attended-races-in-2022/
Resistance to plan for Youghal greyhound track closure
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/munster/arid-41053814.html
Youghal track the WORST for greyhound DEATHS in 2022
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/02/09/youghal-track-the-worst-for-greyhound-deaths-in-2022/
At least 122 greyhounds killed in racing in 2022
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2023/02/08/at-least-122-greyhounds-killed-in-racing-in-2022/
The Sunday Times (Ireland): Greyhound industry insiders make up over half of race attendees
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/greyhound-industry-insiders-make-up-over-half-of-race-attendees-0b56z5k6w
Greyhound Racing Ireland’s misleading track attendance statistics
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/2022/07/06/greyhound-racing-irelands-misleading-track-attendance-statistics/
REPORTED INJURIES AND DEATHS AT YOUGHAL TRACK
2022: 36 injuries, 16 deaths
2021: 20 injuries, 7 deaths
2020: 11 injuries, 9 deaths
2019: 10 injuries, 6 deaths
2018: 13 injuries, 6 deaths
2017: 07 injuries, 1 death
2016: 05 injuries, 3 deaths
2015: 07 injuries, 3 deaths
Injuries and deaths at Youghal track (2022)
3rd January 2022, Hock Fracture, Treated
12th January 2022, Leg Fracture, Euthanised
2nd March 2022, Fractured Hock, Treated
18th May 2022, Hock Fracture, Euthanised
23rd May 2022, Fractured Hock, Euthanised
30th May 2022, Fractured Hock, Euthanised
30th May 2022, Fractured Hock, Euthanised
6th June 2022, Hock Injury, Euthanised
8th June 2022, Wrist Injury, Treated
25th July 2022, Hock Injury, Treated
27th July 2022, Wrist Injury, Treated
15th August 2022, Spinal Injury, Euthanised
15th August 2022, Shoulder Injury, Treated
17th August 2022, Hock Fracture, Euthanised
17th August 2022, Hock Fracture, Euthanised
24th August 2022, Toe Injury, Treated
7th September 2022, Hock Fracture, Euthanised
14th September 2022, Hock Fracture, Euthanised
14th September 2022, Leg Injury, Treated
14th September 2022, Muscle Injury, Treated
10th October 2022, Hock Fracture, Treated
26th October 2022, Hock Fracture, Treated
2nd November 2022, Wrist Injury, Treated
7th November 2022, Hock Fracture, Euthanised
7th November 2022, Ruptured Tendon, Euthanised
7th November 2022, Wrist Fracture, Euthanised
7th November 2022, Hock Fracture, Treated
7th November 2022, Hock Injury, Treated
9th November 2022, Wrist Injury, Euthanised
9th November 2022, Wrist Injury, Treated
14th November 2022, Leg Fracture, Euthanised
16th November 2022, Leg Injury, Treated
16th November 2022, Toe Fracture, Treated
21st November 2022, Leg Fracture, Treated
21st November 2022, Wrist Fracture, Treated
5th December 2022, Hock Fracture, Treated
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