Bord na gCon
Bord na gCon (Irish pronunciation: [bˠoːɾˠd̪ˠ nə ɡon̪ˠ]; in English, the Irish Greyhound Board), abbreviated as BnaC, is an Irish semi-state body charged with regulating and promoting Greyhound racing in Ireland.[1] The board has been active in developing the sport in Ireland since its founding in 1958,
The Bord na gCon is a commercial semi-state body and reports to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.[2]
History
Bord na gCon was established under the Greyhound Industry Act of 1958 with a number of aims. The body was formed to regulate the industry, operate a tote betting system, licence and authorise each stadium, its officials, and its on-course bookmakers, and promote the sport through advertising and prize grants.[1] Bord na gCon received €14.5 million in state funding during 2007, but has been criticised for lacking government oversight.[3] Bord na gCon has been active in improving Ireland's greyhound stadia in recent years, and in 2007 announced a €28 million investment in its facilities in Limerick and Kilkenny.[4]
The board has long had a comprehensive policy on doping in the sport, even including viagra on its list of banned substances.[5] However, in 2006 Bord na gCon was imbued with controversy. A report illustrating that two dogs had tested positive for the banned substance EPO was not made public by the board, contrary to standard practice. Aidan Tynan, the board's CEO at the time, sent a letter to the Minister for Sport, John O'Donoghue, outlining his concern with the situation. He was then removed from his position by the board. A government report subsequently criticised the board for its actions,[6][7] and a 2008 report by the Comptroller and Auditor General found some irregularities in the board's accounts.[8]
Stadia
Bord na gCon regulates all of Ireland's greyhound stadia. There are stadia in the following locations:[9]
Connacht Leinster
|
Munster Ulster |
See also
- Greyhound racing in the United Kingdom
- Horse Racing Ireland
- State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland
References
- 1 2 "Bord na gCon". Sport Agencies. Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism. Archived from the original on 2008-04-14. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ "2014 Annual Report" (PDF). Irish Greyhound Board.
- ↑ Brennan, Michael (2008-06-27). "Activities of greyhound board 'went unsupervised'". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ "Bord Na gCon announces €28m investment". RTÉ News. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ Kelso, Paul (2001-06-21). "Racetrack ban after Viagra gets greyhounds going". The Guardian. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ Corcoran, Jody (2006-05-14). "Revealed: the dog-doping secret report". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ "Govt to re-examine laws after Bord na gCon report". RTÉ News. 2006-07-04. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ Daily, Darina (2008-06-11). "Bord na gCon investigation published". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
- ↑ "Home Page (see Stadia)". Irish Greyhound Board. Retrieved 2008-07-17.