Cork Camogie is being urged to say NO to greyhound track fundraising. The club is planning a “Family Night at the Dogs” fundraiser at Curraheen Park stadium in December. .
Children are being encouraged to come to the County Cork gambling venue, with the message “kids go free”.
According to a report in the Cork Echo, the fundraiser is to help raise money “to support welfare expenses such as physiotherapy, medical costs, travel, food and training, and also help to fund a well-deserved break for the team after their successful year.”
We have appealed to Cork Camogie to show compassion and chose a different fundraising venue.
The club has been told that Curraheen Park is one of the worst tracks in Ireland for greyhound injuries and deaths. 203 greyhounds suffered injuries there and 80 died or were killed over the past nine years alone. Last year, seven greyhounds were killed at the track after sustaining leg and hock fractures.
The suffering and death has continued at Curraheen Park in 2023. In the first 9 months of the year, 13 greyhounds sustained injuries there and 5 of them were killed by a vet.
At tracks around Ireland since 2014, at least 3,251 greyhounds are known to have been injured and 1,159 killed. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
The full horrors of greyhound racing were exposed on RTE Television’s award-winning “Greyhounds Running For Their Lives” documentary. The programme revealed that around 6,000 dogs are killed behind the scenes every year simply because they are not fast enough to win races. It included horrifying 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
A damning report which Greyhound Racing Ireland attempted to hide, 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 Irish public is shocked and disgusted at the revelations, which have sparked multiple, ongoing protests outside tracks (including Curraheen Park) and calls for a ban on greyhound racing.
Greyhound racing is responsible for so much suffering and death that many of the biggest animal welfare charities in Ireland, the US and the UK are calling for it to be ended. They include the RSPCA, Dogs Trust UK, Blue Cross, Woodgreen Pets, GREY2K USA, the League Against Cruel Sports and Scottish SPCA. Here in Ireland, Dogs Trust has also announced that it wants to see greyhound racing ended as soon as possible. The CEO of the ISPCA, meanwhile, has stated that the group “supports a winding down of greyhound racing in Ireland”.
“It is entirely inappropriate for Cork Camogie to in any way associate with or support this shameful, dog-killing activity,” we stated in our appeal. “We implore you to please choose a different venue for club fundraisers.”
Fundraisers at tracks are helping to keep cruel greyhound racing afloat – the track takes a 30-40 per cent commission from ticket sales and also profits from gambling and food/drink sales on the night.
Greyhound racing is also sustaining the cruel bloodsport of hare coursing – all greyhounds used in track racing are registered with the Irish Coursing Club and the registration fees help fund coursing activities. In coursing, thousands of hares are snatched from the wild every year for use as live bait for greyhounds at coursing meetings. Hares are terrorised while desperately running for their lives and there are injuries and deaths due to maulings.
As sports clubs struggle to raise funds, the government is continuing to hand out millions of euros to Greyhound Racing Ireland. More than €328 million has been granted since 2001, including €19.2 million for 2021, €17.6 million for 2022 and €18.2 million for 2023. €19 million more has been allocated in Budget 2024. This squandering of public funds must stop – the money needs to be redirected to sports clubs, health groups, schools, environmental projects, animal rescue centres and other worthy causes crying out for support.
ACTION ALERT
Appeal to Cork Camogie to show compassion for the animals and choose an alternative fundraising venue.
Cork Camogie
Email: pro.cork@camogie.ie
CC: sinead.mcnulty@camogie (Sinéad McNulty, Ard Stiúrthóir, The Camogie Association)
roberta.farrell@camogie.ie (Roberta Farrell, National Childrens Officer,, Camogie Association)
Leave a comment on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CorkCamogieOfficial
X: https://twitter.com/CorkCamogie
Don’t attend greyhound races or fundraisers/hen parties/office parties or other events held at greyhound tracks.
Join us in demanding an end to the Irish Government’s massive grants to greyhound racing. Without this funding, greyhound racing would collapse. Contact the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Finance Minister now.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD
Telephone: +353 (0)1-704 3630 OR +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Tanaiste Micheál Martin TD
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
Michael McGrath TD
Minister for Finance
Email: michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie; minister@per.gov.ie
http://www.facebook.com/michael.mcgrath.1614
Twitter: http://twitter.com/mmcgrathtd
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
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
Ban Bloodsports 
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