Multiple Limerick greyhound deaths add fuel to calls for racing ban
The incidents occurred on January 23, January 30, and April 10 at Limerick Greyhound Stadium, a Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) licenced track.
The injuries reported included a broken left hock, a broken right hock and a fractured tibia and fibula.
These conditions led on-site veterinarians to euthanise the animals.
These Limerick-based cases form part of a larger dataset revealed by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, covering all Irish tracks from January 1 to April 30, during which 28,446 greyhounds raced.
In addition, two other greyhounds at the Limerick stadium were treated for non-fatal injuries during this period, including a fractured hock and a possible wrist fracture.
Overall, 106 greyhounds sustained injuries, with 54 euthanised by track veterinarians and two recorded as racing fatalities.
The issue was raised by People Before Profit–Solidarity TD Paul Murphy in the Dáil on April 29, 2025.
These numbers have prompted calls for a review of racing laws.
According to Deputy Murphy: 'Both greyhound racing and hare coursing are cruel outdated practices that are banned in other countries and opposed by the vast majority of ordinary people here.'
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