Lifford has finally been granted its GRI licence to re-open as a greyhound track, after more than a year in legal delays.
Shareholder and spokesman Cathal Magee – whose father James was granted the first Bord na gCon licence in in 1959 – said: “This has been a long and complicated process and follows a considerable period during which Greyhound Racing Ireland carried out its due checks and processes, as is required by law.
“Thankfully we are at the end of that long journey and now have our licence, as issued by GRI’s Interim CEO John Tuohey. We would like to thank John and his team for getting this over the line and we now look forward to the appointment of stewards and managers.
“We would also like to thank the local greyhound community for keeping patience with us throughout the last year. We have chosen not to attempt to launch the new venture coming into the winter months but with the public trials going well and the track already in perfect condition, this licence means that we can guarantee all prospective dog owners that we will open on the first weekend in April 2023.”
Jamie Hart, Racing Director at the UK Tote, was enthused by the announcement. He said: “The UK Tote Group are excited to support Lifford and RCE in this exciting development in greyhound racing and betting. The market is crying out for a lower margin, highly liquid alternative to the current greyhound betting offer across UK and Ireland, and Lifford are leading the charge to provide it.”
