Reassurance offered to Irish industry in fallout from Welsh ban blow

IN a week when the Welsh and Scottish governments passed bills to ban greyhound racing, Ireland’s minister for agriculture Martin Heydon issued a statement backing the Irish greyhound racing industry.

In an article published by the Irish Independent, Heydon reacted to comments put forward by Dublin West TD Ruth Coppinger, who had said that “the international consensus” was to ban greyhound racing, and that “racing at speed on oval tracks is dangerous for dogs in extreme weathers. Those racing dogs have poor diet, with very little enrichment in their lives and very little traceability. That has been pointed out by Dogs Trust Ireland.”

However, Heydon said: “I do not intend to ban greyhound racing here.”

He went on to describe Coppinger’s remarks as a “dreadful slight on the thousands of people who work in our greyhound racing industry and who love the dogs and care for them greatly”.

The minister also pointed to increased animal welfare allocation within the government’s financial backing for the industry, provided through the Horse and Greyhound Fund.

Meanwhile, Friday’s news that the Welsh High Court rejected the GBGB’s judicial review into the ban on greyhound racing in Wales provoked a fierce reaction from supporters of the sport.

Wales has only one operating track, Valley. The impending legislation will lead to a phased closure of the venue, bought by Harlow promoter Dave Barclay in 2021, should an intended appeal also fail to overturn the ban.

Describing his track earlier in the week, Barclay told the Racing Post: “Valley is a fantastic greyhound track set in a small community, many local people are employed there and the highest welfare standards are met.”

James Lovell, co-founder of Cardiff-based bookmaker DragonBet, was one of many to react passionately on social media as he posted: “The banning of greyhound racing in Wales is a huge shame and, in my view, feels driven more by optics than hard evidence. For many people, this sport is a way of life, built around people who care deeply for their dogs and have dedicated their lives to them.

“There is also a serious wider question about what happens to the breed itself if racing disappears altogether. More broadly, almost every argument levelled against greyhound racing could also be levelled against horse racing. At a time when horse racing in Wales is achieving real success and giving people something to be proud of, it is fair to ask where this ends. Today it is greyhound racing, tomorrow what sport involving animals is next?”

Scotland’s only greyhound track, the independent Thornton Stadium in Fife, closed last year.

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