Just 18 people on average attended races at Youghal track last year, new Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics reveal.
Figures released to Mick Barry TD this week show that there were 9,483 “attendances” at the unpopular County Cork track between January and the end of December.
Greyhound Racing Ireland is laughably continuing to include the presence of greyhound owners, greyhound trainers and bookmakers at tracks in its “attendance” figures. At Youghal track in 2022, these accounted for a total of 7,801 (7,252 entries by owners/trainers + 549 entries by bookmakers). Excluding greyhound owners/trainers and bookmakers, the actual attendance figure for Youghal track stands at a paltry 1,682.
With 96 meetings in 2022, the average attendance was a mere 18 per meeting.
And not all of those were paid entries – a breakdown of the GRI stats shows that there were 156 complimentary entries. This reduces the apparent paid attendances to 1,526 or an average of only 16 per race meeting.
The GRI data categorises the attendance into 1 adult, 643 OAP, 639 Student, 243 Child and 0 Family.
Greyhound Racing Ireland’s ridiculous inclusion of greyhound owners/trainers and bookmakers in its “attendance” figures is an attempt to mislead and convey a level of public support for greyhound racing which does not exist.
A 2019 Indecon report commissioned by Greyhound Racing Ireland recommended the closure of Youghal track. There are growing calls for it to be shut down following revelations that the track was the worst in the country in 2022 for greyhound deaths.
36 greyhounds suffered injuries there in 2022 and 16 of them were killed by a track vet. It was the highest number of injuries and deaths at the track since records began.
The 16 greyhounds who were killed had suffered hock injury/fracture (10), leg fracture (2), wrist fracture/injury (2), spinal injury (1) and ruptured tendon (1).
The deaths included the killing of three greyhounds at a single meeting on 7th November 2022. The unfortunate dogs had suffered hock fracture, wrist fracture and ruptured tendon before being “euthanised” by a track vet. 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.
The 20 injured greyhounds who were “treated” at races at the track had suffered hock injury/fracture (8), wrist injury/fracture (5), leg injury/fracture (3), toe injury/fracture (2), muscle injury (1) and shoulder injury (1).
Sickening Greyhound Racing Ireland statistics show that since 2015 alone, 109 greyhounds have suffered injuries at Youghal and 51 died or were killed by a track vet.
It was reported in January that Greyhound Racing Ireland “intends to close [Youghal track] down”.
Local TDs Sean Sherlock (Labour) and James O’Connor (Fianna Fail) were shamefully pushing 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 Tanaise, ICABS highlighted the suffering and death in greyhound racing and 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.
Since 2001, over €309 million in funding has shamefully 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.
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.
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: 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/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
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:
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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