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RTÉ News
01-08-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Shock and sadness at Thurles Racecourse closure
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.
South Wales Argus
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Gwent pubs: Live Aid 40th anniversary, open mic and quizzes
The Horse and Jockey in Pontypool will host an outdoor performance by the Arcade so80s band on Saturday, July 19, to mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid. A Live Aid tribute is happening at the Horse and Jockey (Image: Supplied) The event is set to start at 8pm. The same night, from 8pm, the Out Out Bar & Grill in Newport will feature the Elektronica 80s band. (Image: Supplied) Entry to this event is free. At 9pm on Saturday, Llew Davies will be performing at Commercial Street in Pontnewydd. Having played at numerous gigs and festivals and appeared on radio and TV, Llew Davies will deliver a set of English and Welsh acoustic songs, both original and familiar. For those who prefer a bit of brain exercise with their drinks, The Lamb in Newport is hosting a quickfire quiz night. The event starts at 7.30pm on Saturday and runs until midnight. On Sunday, July 20, Woodland Road Sports and Social Club in Cwmbran will have an open mic night. An open mic night is taking place in Cwmbran (Image: Supplied) This is a regular event held every third Sunday of the month. Musicians and performers of all levels are welcome to take the stage, and a full PA system, including microphone and guitar cables, are provided. Spectators are also welcome to enjoy the free live music. The same night at 7.30pm, Le Pub in Newport will host a Gavin & Stacey quiz. (Image: Supplied) Teams of up to six can compete for a cash prize, with a £1 cash entry fee per person. The 'What's in the Box' prize is also available, with £66 won last week. These events offer a variety of entertainment options for those looking to enjoy a night out at their local pub.
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Time to ‘move on' from semi-final scoreboard controversy, says Tipperary boss Liam Cahill
Liam Cahill says Tipperary were not worried about the possibility of a replay being ordered after last Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final victory against Kilkenny ended in controversy. The scoreboard mistakenly awarded Noel McGrath's 70th-minute effort as a point, even though one of the umpires signalled the Tipp player's shot had drifted wide of the Hill 16 posts. That error gave Tipperary a four-point lead when in fact Kilkenny were three adrift. The score at the final whistle was given as 4-21 to 0-30, a three-point difference. However, just before 8pm on Sunday evening, the GAA amended it, with referee James Owens confirming the result as Tipperary 4-20 Kilkenny 0-30. Speaking at Tipperary's All-Ireland final media evening at Horse and Jockey on Tuesday, manager Cahill says there were no fears within the Tipp camp that the result would not stand. READ MORE 'No, no. What can we say, sure. It's human error, that's the bottom line,' said Cahill. 'A mistake was made but it had no effect on us, on what we wanted to achieve at the end of the day, which was just to get the result. Everybody in the GAA, we do our best to try and do things voluntary and keep things as right as we can. Unfortunately, it was just human error. What can be done, only move on. 'You can go into all the ins and out of it. There were several other passages of play and decisions that work out throughout the 74-plus minutes. The reality is that's what big matches like that are made of and you just roll with the punches and you take the hits. 'We know that Kilkenny from the start of time are a huge hurling county and I said that afterwards on Sunday. Like ourselves, if Kilkenny don't win it on the field, they aren't going to bring it to the boardroom, that's for sure. That's one thing in Tipperary we were fully 100 per cent sure of.' Cahill said he was judging the score during injury-time by the scoreboard but admitted there were some doubts raised by members of his backroom team. 'For me, we were going on the scoreboard. Through Declan [Laffan] and the lads down the earpiece, there might have been a little query all right, but for us we were playing what was in front of us.' Tipperary's Jake Morris celebrates with Darragh Stakelum after last Sunday's All-Ireland SHC semi-final win against Kilkenny at Croke Park. Photograph: Tom O'Hanlon/Inpho Cahill's sentiments were echoed by Tipp vice-captain Jake Morris. '[Kilkenny] are a serious, proud hurling county with some serious hurlers, they are a really good team,' said Morris. [ Nicky English: Tipperary proved they're primed to take All-Ireland challenge to Cork Opens in new window ] [ Tactical Analysis: Tipperary's ruthless efficiency and turnovers sank Kilkenny Opens in new window ] 'Derek Lyng seems to be a really good operator, it is credit to them that they didn't make as much of a complaint out of it as they could have. 'As Liam said, it was a human error. It was unfortunate for them but it is just the way it goes sometimes. You get the rub of the green sometimes and it fell our way last Sunday. 'I didn't know what the story was when John Donnelly was hitting that shot at the end. We would have been three up [in my head] but to be honest you don't even think about the score, you are just playing every ball as it comes to you.' Cahill added that Tipperary have no fresh injury concerns. He hopes to have a fully fit squad to select from for the All-Ireland final against Cork on Sunday week. Meanwhile, Liam Gordon from Galway has been announced as referee for the All-Ireland hurling final, his first senior final. Previously he has experience of reffing the All-Ireland under-20 final, the All-Ireland club final and the Munster hurling final.
News18
01-06-2025
- News18
Irish Family Awarded Rs 85 Lakh For False ‘Dine And Dash' Accusation
Last Updated: The family said the incident caused great embarrassment, especially because it was shared online. A well-known family from Northern Ireland has won £75,000 (approximately Rs 86.3 lakh) in a legal case after they were wrongly accused of leaving a pub without paying their bill. Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their adult children Peter Jr and Carol, were left embarrassed after a pub in Derbyshire, UK, claimed they hadn't paid for a £150 (over Rs 17,200) meal in July last year. The Horse and Jockey pub in Tideswell posted CCTV photos of the family on Facebook where they claimed that the family walked out without settling their bill for steaks, gammon and drinks. The post also labelled them as 'dine-and-dashers." But it was later revealed that the family had paid in full. A staff member took the money but failed to record the payment properly. According to Daily Mail, the McGirrs are a wealthy and respected family from County Tyrone. They own McGirr Engineering, a successful business worth over £2 million with cash reserves of £1.3 million. A friend of the family told the outlet, 'They are very well known and respected in the Omagh area and are one of the wealthiest families around here. Everybody was very shocked when these allegations were first made because the McGirrs are not short of a pound or two." The family said the incident caused great embarrassment especially because it was shared online. Similar accusations are featured in different newspapers' reports. Barrister Peter Girvan, representing the family in Belfast High Court, explained how the false claim had affected them. 'These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150," he said. 'The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." As part of the settlement, the pub agreed to pay £75,000 in damages to the McGirr family. They also covered the family's legal fees. An apology was also read out in court where the pub admitted the mistake and accepted that the accusations were false. Carol McGirr later shared a message on Facebook, saying: '10 months later… thank god it's all over and our names are cleared. Tip for all our friends and family: don't pay for your food and drink before you eat as this is what can happen… plus use a card otherwise we had [sic] no evidence of payment." According to the BBC, the false posts have now been removed from social media and the pub has admitted that there was 'no basis whatsoever" for the claims.
The Irish Sun
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Irish Sun
Family wrongly accused of pub dine & dash and awarded £75,000 ‘are MILLIONAIRES who rejected pleas to drop lawsuit'
A FAMILY who was wrongly accused of leaving a restaurant without paying the bills have turned out to be millionaires who refused to drop a dine and dash lawsuit. Peter and Ann McGirr, along with their children Peter Jr and Carol, were awarded a whopping £75,000 by the Horse and Jockey pub where the family went for a dinner last year. Advertisement 3 CCTV footage shows the McGirr family having a meal at the Horse and Jockey pub Credit: Facebook / The Horse And Jockey 3 The family seen leaving from the pub restaurant Credit: Facebook / The Horse And Jockey 3 The Horse and Jockey pub in the Peak District Credit: Google Maps They ordered £27 10oz ribeye steaks and two £15.25 Derbyshire gammon steaks, washed down with several real ales and lagers. Soon after they left, the pub posted CCTV footage of the family on Facebook and alleged they left without paying the £150 bill for the fancy dinner. The restaurant even called them out for their shocking behaviour - and the family soon made headlines after being accused of dining and dashing. However, those allegations were later revealed to be false, prompting the family to sue the pub owner. Advertisement read more news The McGirrs had paid their bill in full, but a member of staff at the pub had forgotten to ring the transaction through the till. The pub said that the error was caused by an "inexperienced member of staff" who took a card payment but forgot to put it through the till. The millionaire family sued the pub for libel based on the "serious and defamatory accusations". It is understood that the pub's management settled before evidence was presented - but apologised and acknowledged the distress they caused to the family. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Latest Exclusive Millionaire McGirrs are among the richest people living in County Tyrone. John Watson, the pub's landlord, had to fork out almost £140,000, which included £75,000 in damages and $60,000 in legal costs. Shameless moment 20 Travellers leave restaurant WITHOUT paying £700 bill - as CCTV reveals suspects & cops launch hunt Mr Watson is said to have flown to Belfast to apologise to the McGirrs and even offered them a complement meal and stay at he pub in return for dropping the lawsuit. A source told Advertisement The source said: "A lot of ordinary people might have accepted this. But given the McGirrs' wealth and excellent reputation, that was never going to happen with them. "Their reputation received such a battering they were left with little choice other than to take legal action to restore their name." The family's lawyer said that the pub's claims - and the subsequent news coverage - caused significant damage to the reputation of the family. They told the court: "These articles contained serious and defamatory accusations that the plaintiffs had engaged in dishonest and criminal conduct by deliberately absconding without settling a bill of approximately £150. Advertisement "The allegations were entirely false. The plaintiffs had not engaged in any such conduct, and the statements made by the defendants had no factual basis." A statement issued by the pub last July read: 'We want to sincerely apologise to the people involved because we have now learnt that they did in fact pay for their meal. "There was no dishonesty involved from our staff, it was an honest mistake, but we have dismissed the member of staff responsible for the error." Advertisement
