Shock and sadness at Thurles Racecourse closure

RTÉ News​

5 days ago

Members of the horse racing community in Tipperary have been expressing their shock and sadness at the news that Thurles Racecourse is to close with immediate effect.
The Molony family cited ever increasing industry demands as a reason for their decision and thanked their "extended racecourse family" for their support over the years.
In a statement, Horse Racing Ireland said they will meet the family to discuss their position and consider their options.
Thurles Racecourse is Ireland's only privately-owned track and is considered a cornerstone of National Hunt Racing in the industry.
It has been in the hands of the Molony family since the early 1900s.
But today Riona Molony said she and her four daughters had kept the show on the road for ten years since the passing of husband and father Pierce.
In a statement, the family said it was a privilege and an honour to run Thurles Racecourse but the cost of doing business was a major factor in their decision.
Nearby at the Horse and Jockey Hotel, news of the closure was still being processed.
Marye Blundell is a former horse trainer.
"I think it's terribly sad. It was so well run, and a credit to Pierce's family for the way they ran it. The ground was always right, you know.
"I don't think they ever had to cancel a race meeting. I mean, that's a terrific achievement in my eyes."
Marye then turned on her heel before adding: "Now, I don't want to say anymore. I've said enough.
"I think the Molony family are brilliant people. And I just hope the track survives and stays open in the future."
A young Anthony McCoy rode the first of his 4,358 winners at Thurles on 26 March 1992 when he won on Legal Steps for Jim Bolger.
Rachael Blackmore enjoyed her first winner there on 10 February 2011 when she won on Stowaway Pearl for Shark Hanlon before going on to take the sport by storm.
Over the years many Cheltenham Festival winners have also won and raced at the track, including two-time Champion Hurdle winner Honeysuckle, Champion Chase winner Newmill and Gold Cup hero Sizing John.
Today in Tipperary, former National Hunt jockey Charlie Swan, best known for his three Champion Hurdles wins with the horse Istabraq, said Thurles Racecourse had been very good to him and his family.
"Yeah, I mean, Thurles Racecourse was a very lucky track for me. I rode a lot of winners there. I'm sort of shocked to hear that it's closing down.
"It's a great track, you know, especially in the winter, when the ground is heavy everywhere else. The ground is always nice in Thurles and the Molony family, they've run it so well you know, all these years, and it'll be very, very sadly missed.
"It was one track that always brought a crowd, everybody loved to go to Thurles. It's very sad."
Charlie said he lives just 30 minutes away and hopes that racing will continue there.
"Of course, I would, you know it's always been a great track to me and my family. So, yeah, I'd love to see it stay open."
Tom Egan is the proprietor of the Horse and Jockey Hotel.
"It's been going for hundreds of years. It's part of Thurles, it's part of this area, part of this hotel. We'll sadly miss the course, and we have all the memories of the course over the years.
"They're all the good times and looking out on cold winter days and looking over to the Devil's Bit mountain."
Tom shook his head sadly and wiped his eye.
"Ah 'tis a nostalgic place. It was such a homely track. I think this became homely because of the family running it.
"Everybody felt part of it all, and it's just a real sad occasion."
Tom Egan said that ongoing regulations were a big part of the decision by the Molony family to close.
"Family businesses can't afford a lot of the regulations that have been brought in now. The Molony family did an awful lot of work in the last five or six years since Pierce died.
"Pierce is dead over ten years, and they put in a great effort there. And they did up the parade ring, did up all the stable yards, did up all the course, put in post and railings and the place is looking absolutely magnificent.
"But then people wanted them do more and more and more. And really, it's just, it's just without help, it's virtually impossible.
"Obviously, we'd love to see the track going on, but it's a complete decision of the Molony family.
"They own it, you know. And I wouldn't like them to be forced into anything. It's their place and that should be respected."
Thurles Racecourse is licensed to race until the end of this year with 11 prominent fixtures in the 2025/26 racing calendar but those meetings will not now go ahead
Riona Molony said the family had made their decision and they looked forward now to relaxing and being spectators.
In a statement, Horse Racing Ireland said it had invited the family to a meeting in the coming weeks to discuss their position and consider options.