Rival drone firms ram BMW before Naas chase and prompt new bill in Irish senate

Naas racecourse manager Eamonn McEvoy has outlined how a harum-scarum escapade involving a BMW being rammed and a chase between rival drone operators prompted a sequence of events that led to Senator Vincent P Martin on Wednesday introducing a bill in the Oireachtas to legislate for use of the unregulated airborne devices.

The use of drones fitted with live-streaming cameras to give in-running punters an edge is a contentious issue on both sides of the Irish Sea, with British firms often flying operators into Ireland to cover the Irish meetings. Martin’s Regulation of Air Traffic over Sporting Events Bill 2021 was introduced in the Seanad on Wednesday and is due to be debated next Tuesday.

The British government recently rejected calls in the House of Lords to ban this particular use of drones, but there remains a determination in both parliaments to address the issue.

Apart from the competitive advantage the pictures sold by the drone operators offers to their clients, and the fact that picture rights have already been sold by tracks, there are safety and liability concerns, with a drone hitting a horse in the parade ring at Killarney in 2017.

Naas racecourse manager Eamonn McEvoy revealed the caper that led to a bill being put forward this week to legislate for drone usage over sports venues

However, McEvoy outlined another incident during the March 8 fixture at Naas last year that sounds like something from the script of a movie caper.

"There seems to be a couple of rival outfits around the roads, and we had a case where there were two guys from London over to give another guy a warning," he says.

"They had a BMW X5 rented from Dublin airport, and this guy rammed their car, drove into Naas and ran through the raceday office with these guys after him. It was just by luck he got out through the other door before they got him. We had four ladies working in the office, and he ran to the weighing room and stayed there.

"We had to get the Gardai down – that was it for me. The following meeting they were there and the Gardai in Naas arrested them and confiscated the van, but the Gardai are lacking support because there is no law on their side for this. If it was a concert and they had the drones operating, they could have them done for racketeering, whereas it's just not happening over sporting events."

Other racecourse officials have also had run-ins with drone operators, and McEvoy said the Irish Aviation Authority is supporting their quest to get the area properly regulated.

Martin's bill, which is supported by former Kilbeggan chairman Senator Paul Daly and Senator Fiona O'Loughlin, came about following representations from the team at Naas, but its powers would extend beyond racing if it is enacted.

"I believe the bill is a reasonable and proportionate response to a growing problem which can distort the experience of people attending sporting events, and give some an unfair advantage, and undermines the organisation and the organisers of such events," Martin said. "There is also a safety consideration, and it is not just about horse racing, it covers all sporting events."

Read more on this subject:

'This is foul play and must be stopped' – drones issue reaches House of Lords

'Widespread issue' – IHRB keen to tackle unauthorised drone use at Irish tracks

Horse hit by drone in 'reckless' parade ring incident at Killarney

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