Youghal Greyhound Stadium
Greyhound racing venue in County Cork, Ireland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Youghal Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located south of Youghal, County Cork, Ireland.
 Interactive map of Youghal Greyhound Stadium | |
| Location | Claycastle, Youghal, County Cork, Ireland |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°56′24.5″N 7°51′25.4″W |
| Operated by | Greyhound Racing Ireland |
| Date opened | 1948 |
| Race type | greyhound racing |
| Official website | |
History
On 30 July 1948, a greyhound called Hackles Spring won the first race at Youghal. The seaside track on the Upper Strand was operated by the Youghal Racing Company before Rásaíocht Con Éireann took over in 1972.[1]
The circuit is 464 yards in circumference and the track originally raced on Tuesday and Friday nights. Main events have included the Blackwater Cup, Paddy Stakes and Aherne Memorial Cup. Finbarr Coleman served as racing manager from 1972 to 2002.[2]
In 2012, Greyhound Racing Ireland announced plans to spend over €100,000 to deliver improvements at the track. The improvements were completed in April 2014 and opened by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Tom Hayes at a cost of €134,000.[3]
A 2019 independent review by Indecon Economic Consultants recommended the closure of several greyhound stadia, including Youghal, citing low attendance, poor infrastructure and a lack of long-term sustainability.[4][5][6]
An Irish Examiner report in 2023 said that an average of three members of the public attended the stadium’s twice-weekly meetings, with 92 attendees recorded across 31 meetings in the first four months of the year, excluding trainers and bookmakers, and that its receipt of €763,000 in state funding since 2020 had attracted criticism. Greyhound Racing Ireland attributed the low attendance to early evening fixtures introduced under a broadcasting agreement with SIS, stating that the meeting times were "not conducive to attracting public attendance".[7] In December 2023, the stadium renewed the agreement for 2024.[8]
A subsequent Irish Examiner report said that, in 2024, only two paying customers attended the stadium, with total attendance of 8,840 across 131 meetings, the majority comprising owners, trainers, and bookmakers.[9]
In 2021, seven greyhound deaths were recorded at the track.[10] In 2024, 27 greyhounds were reported injured while racing at the track, 24 (89%) of which were euthanised.[11]