End of an era as Thurles Racecourse closes with immediate effect

Extra.ie​

2 days ago

Thurles Racecourse, the only privately-owned racecourse in Ireland, has closed with immediate effect.
On Friday, Riona Molony officially announced that the family had made the decision to retire the racing track after owning it for over a century.
The historic track has long been a cornerstone of National Hunt Racing in Ireland, renowned for its ability to cope with heavy rain and stage cards in the depths of winter. It's the end of an era in Thurles. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
However, this ironically proved a negative last season, when meetings and schooling sessions were cancelled due to fast ground on a course without an irrigation system.
The first ever recorded race-meeting at Thurles took place in 1732 and it has been in the hands of the Molony family since the early 1900s.
Riona's late husband Pierce took over from his father Doctor Paddy Molony in 1974, and together with their family they have worked hard at the business for the last 50 years.
As the Molony family prepare to embark on their next chapter, Riona expressed sincere gratitude for the support of their 'extended racecourse family', including the staff, sponsors, racing community, local businesses, and the many racegoers who have contributed to the legacy of Thurles Racecourse.
She said: 'It has been an honour and a privilege for our family to have run Thurles Racecourse, and I am officially announcing our retirement today.
'We are very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing and we are most grateful to our extended racecourse family, our dedicated staff, generous sponsors, loyal patrons and the wider racing community for all your support.
'Horse-racing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years.
'My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators.' The Molony family have owned the racecourse for over a century. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
The racecourse is licensed to race until 31 December and has 11 prominent fixtures in the 2025/26 racing calendar, but those meetings will not go ahead.
A challenging financial landscape has been cited as one of the factors behind the decision to call time on the business.
Riona added: 'Since my beloved husband Pierce passed away in 2015, with the help of our four daughters Patricia, Helen, Ann Marie and Kate and our wonderful staff, we've managed to keep the show on the road and I know he would be very proud of us for that.
'The girls all have their own families, careers and lives to live. Ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business has also been a major factor.'
In 2023, Thurles joined Limerick, Kilbeggan, Roscommon, and Sligo to break away and form United Irish Racecourses with the aim of negotiating better media rights terms through talks with Arena Racecourse Company.
Had those negotiations succeeded, broadcasting for these tracks would have shifted from Racing TV to Sky Sports.
Ultimately, however, all five tracks eventually joined Ireland's other 21 racecourses and collectively signed a deal with the existing rights holders, Racecourse Media Group and SIS. The deal was worth approximately €47m a year to Irish racing.
In recent times, Thurles has hosted three Grade Two contests each season, with the Kinloch Brae Chase in January being the most high profile.
Riona concluded: 'We're going to enjoy this time together and relax now the decision is made and the news is out before we consider our options.'