Stamford Bridge

Lore & Background

Greyhound racing in Ireland evolved from coursing, which had been organised under the Irish Coursing Club since the 19th century. Modern track racing developed following the introduction of oval racing in Britain in 1926. The first track meeting in Northern Ireland was held at Celtic Park in Belfast on 18 April 1927, following visits by Irish promoters to Belle Vue in Manchester. The first meeting in the Republic of Ireland (then Irish Free State) was held on 14 May 1927. Racing in Ireland was initially governed by the Irish Coursing Club, before Bord na gCon (later Greyhound Racing Ireland) was established in 1959 to regulate the sport in the Republic. Tracks in Northern Ireland have historically existed in a regulatory limbo, as they are licensed by neither the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) nor Greyhound Racing Ireland.

Reader's Guide

Graded racing is any minor race staged at a track, with prize money varying widely. This kind of racing is the most common at the various stadia. Greyhound racing in Ireland has a standard colour scheme (the same as in the UK): Trap 1 = Red with White numeral; Trap 2 = Blue with White numeral; Trap 3 = White with Black numeral; Trap 4 = Black with White numeral; Trap 5 = Orange with Black numeral; Trap 6 = Black & White Stripes with Red numeral. A racing jacket worn by a reserve bears an additional letter 'R' shown prominently on each side.

Did You Know?

• A 2014 independent review described the level of positive tests for banned substances in racing greyhounds as 'unacceptable'.
• In 2019, the Irish government enacted the Greyhound Racing Act 2019, which set out new legislation regarding welfare and traceability.
• Ireland is a major exporter of racing greyhounds; around 95% of racing greyhounds in the UK were Irish-bred in 2017.