Youghal Greyhound Stadium
| Location | Claycastle, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°56'24.5"N 7°51'25.4"W |
| Operated by | Irish Greyhound Board |
| Date opened | 1948 |
| Race type | greyhound racing |
| Official website | |
Youghal Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located south of Youghal, County Cork, Ireland. The stadium is ten minutes walk from the town centre.[1]
Racing takes place every Monday and Friday evening and the facilities include a fast food outlet, a bar, totalisator betting and inside and outside viewing areas. [2]
Race distances are 325, 525 and 550 yards [3] and the track has several feature events in the Irish racing calendar.[4]
History
On the 30th July 1948 a greyhound called Hackles Spring won the first ever race at Youghal. The seaside track found on the Upper Strand was run by the Youghal Racing Company before the Bord Na gCon took over in 1972.[5]
The circuit is 464 yards in circumference and the track originally raced on Tuesday and Friday nights. It has always been well known for being very smart in appearance under the supervision of Racing Manager Finbarr Coleman. Coleman remained in this post for thirty years from 1972 until 2002. Main events have included the Blackwater Cup, Paddy Stakes and Aherne Memorial Cup.[6]
Brian Collins and Pat Leahy both had short stints as Racing Manager until 2006 when Kathleen Lennon (daughter of the well-known breeder and trainer Denny) took over and became Ireland’s first female Racing Manager. Lennon left in 2012 to take over at the Kilcohan Park.
John McGrath was appointed as the Racing and Commercial Manager from 2012.[7] In 2012 the track received a tonic when the Irish Greyhound Board announced plans to spend over €100,000 to deliver improvements at the track. The improvements were completed in April 2014 and Tom Hayes, minister of State at the minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine opened the newly built facility. The refurbishment including a new judges box cost €134,000 in the end. Hayes complimented Bertie Lupton and the board of directors for their efforts at Youghal.[8]
It was announced that Curraheen Park and Youghal Greyhound Stadium had helped raise more than €5m for charities, clubs and other good causes in 2015.[9]
References
- ↑ "Greyhound Track". Discover Ireland.
- ↑ "Youghal greyhound Stadium". Irish Greyhound Board.
- ↑ "Youghal". Greyhound Data.
- ↑ "Feature Events" (PDF). Irish Greyhound Board.
- ↑ Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
- ↑ Barnes, Julia (1988). Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. Ringpress Books. ISBN 0-948955-15-5.
- ↑ "IGB announces Youghal Appointment". Youghal online.
- ↑ "Hayes opens refurbished stand at Youghal Greyhound Stadium". merrionstreet.ie.
- ↑ "Curraheen Park and Youghal Greyhound stadia helped raise more than €5m". Cork.ie.