Greyhound racing attendance in 2025 records another decrease in public support.
Attendance at greyhound tracks around Ireland fell by 1,701 last year, recently released figures reveal.
Information obtained by Paul Murphy TD (Solidarity-People Before Profit) through a recent Dáil question reveal Greyhound Racing Ireland(GRI) statistics showing greyhound racing attendance rates were down at most Irish greyhound racing tracks in 2025.
Attempts to establish a factual attendance rate at Ireland’s greyhound tracks are hampered due to Greyhound Racing Ireland inclusion of 86,520 entries by those involved in racing at tracks, i.e. greyhound owners, greyhound trainers and bookmakers, as well as 441 entries by members of the press.
An analysis of the supplied information, excluding these entries, has revealed a downward spiral in greyhound racing attendance.
Greyhound Racing Attendance Ireland
Youghal, Co. Cork was the emptiest greyhound racing track at races in 2025 recording zero attendance, down from two attendees in 2024.
Curraheen Park, Co. Cork had an attendance of 27,736 at a total of 98 race meetings, with an average attendance of 283.
Curraheen Park has a stated capacity of “1340 persons, between the ground and first floor” and was therefore around 79% empty on average at race meetings in 2025.
Galway stadium had an attendance of 16,050 across 93 meetings, meaning an average of 173 per race meeting. With a capacity of “974 persons, between the ground and first floor”, the stadium was 82% empty on average.
The attendance for Limerick Stadium was just 18,141 over 114 meetings or an average of 159. It has a capacity of “2,012 persons, between the ground and first floor” and was therefore 92% empty on average at race meetings in 2025.
Mullingar Stadium, Co. Westmeath, recorded an attendance of 5,998, and with 139 race meetings across 2025, its average attendance was a mere 43. With a stated capacity of 255 (between its two floors), it was therefore 83% empty on average.
At Newbridge Stadium’s 55 race meetings, there was a total attendance of 7,755, or 141 on average at each meeting. This Co. Kildare venue has a capacity of 630 (between ground and first floor) and was therefore around 78% empty at each meeting.
Dublin to Donegal Greyhound Racing Tracks
At Shelbourne Park in Dublin, the attendance for 140 meetings was 93,331 (an average of 667 per race meeting). Greyhound Racing Ireland’s “flagship stadium” has a capacity of “4,200 persons, between the ground, intermediate, first and second floor”, meaning that, on average, it was around 84% empty at race meetings in 2025.
Tralee track, Co. Kerry, had an attendance of 17,933 at 145 race meetings. With an average entry of just 124 and a capacity of 1,310, this track was on average 91% empty.
Kilcohan Racing Stadium, Co Waterford, which has a stated capacity of “450 persons, between the ground and first floor”, was on average 81% empty at its 102 meetings in 2025. Its attendance stood at 8,517, with an average entry of 84.
The attendance at Clonmel track, Co. Tipperary was 8,588. There were 103 meetings during the year, meaning its average attendance was just 83. Clonmel track has a stated capacity of 541 and was therefore 85% empty on average.
A breakdown of attendance for Dundalk Stadium, Co. Louth, was not provided by Greyhound Racing Ireland. The “total attendance” claimed by GRI was 28,252 but this figure includes greyhound owners, greyhound trainers and bookmakers. The average numbers present at the 98 meetings at the track, including all of these insiders, was 288. Dundalk track has a stated capacity of 3,390 and was therefore over 92% empty on average at race meetings.
Enniscorthy’s attendance was 12,010, or an average of 154 for 78 meetings at this Co. Wexford venue.
At Kilkenny track there was an annual attendance of just 7,964 – that’s an average of 83 people at 96 race meetings.
At Thurles Park track, Co. Tipperary the figure for attendance was 6,731. There were 53 race meetings, putting the average attendance at 127.
The attendance figures for Lifford track in Co. Donegal was 5,670. With 104 race meetings there during 2025, the average attendance was just 55.
Greyhound Tracks Attendance Decline
The total attendance for the 15 greyhound racing tracks in 2025 (excluding greyhound owners/trainers/bookies/press) was 264,676. That’s 1,701 less than the corresponding figure for 2024 (266,377).
When excluding free entries by children (18,818) and promotional entries (10,250), the number for paid attendance was even lower at 235,608.
Compared to the previous year, 12 tracks out of 15 recorded decreases in attendance in 2025.
- Curraheen Park, Cork (down 1,991 or 7%)
- Galway (down 2,243 or 12%)
- Mullingar, Westmeath (down 1,521 or 20%)
- Newbridge, Kildare, (down 1,948 or 20%)
- Tralee, Kerry (down 2,007 or 10%)
- Waterford (down 1,568 or 16%)
- Youghal, Cork (down 2 or 100%)
- Clonmel, Tipperary (down 184 or 2%)
- Dundalk, Louth (down 1,888 or 6%)
- Enniscorthy, Wexford (down 4,781 or 28%)
- Kilkenny (down 1,667 or 17%)
- Thurles Park, Tipperary (down 413 or 6%)
The overall number of entries into tracks, including by those involved in greyhound racing, fell by a massive 6,504. There were related drops at all tracks except Shelbourne Park, Co. Dublin. Two tracks saw an increase in attendance by members of the public – Limerick (up 256 or 1%) and Shelbourne Park (up 12,586 or 16%).
The increase at Shelbourne Park included a 1,660 jump in the number of children at the track, 2,364 more student entries and an extra 394 promotional entries).
Children Gambling and Greyhound Abuse
At the 14 tracks where details were provided, there were 18,818 entries by children.
Growing awareness about suffering and death in greyhound racing is undoubtedly a contributing factor in falling attendances.
At races around Ireland in 2025, 344 greyhounds suffered injuries and more than half of them (197) were killed. The figures do not include the greyhounds injured at tracks and later killed elsewhere, or the thousands of greyhounds who are killed behind the scenes every year because they are not fast enough to win races.
Defunding the Irish Greyhound Industry
In response to these figures that should the continuing rejection of greyhound racing by the public, the Irish Council Against Bloodsports (ICABS) has informed Simon Harris, the Minister for Finance, of low level of public interest in greyhound racing and highlighted Greyhound Racing Ireland’s inflated, misleading “attendance” figures as part of an appeal to the government to stop ploughing millions of euros of taxpayers’ money into this unpopular and dying “industry”.
The horse and greyhound racing industries receive financial support from the State through the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund, under Section 12 of the Horse and Greyhound Racing Act, 2001.
Since 2001, Greyhound Racing Ireland has received €386,806,146 in grants, including €19 million for 2024, €19.82 million for 2025 and €19.82 million for 2026.
View: Irish Council Against Blood Sports
Greyhound Racing Attendance Ireland
Attendance statistics: 2023, 2024 and 2025
https://banbloodsports.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/attendance-2023-2024-2025.pdf
Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI)
Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) – Rásaíocht Con Éireann – is a commercial semi-state body which is responsible for the control and development of the greyhound industry in the Republic of Ireland. Greyhound Racing Ireland, previously called the Irish Greyhound Board has licensed a total of fourteen tracks in the Republic, of which nine are owned and controlled by the organisation. The remainder are owned and operated by private enterprise. There are also a further two privately owned stadia in Northern Ireland.
Source: https://www.grireland.ie/go-greyhound-racing
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