The financial's discussed are for 2015.
The IGB took over catering and secured some BAGS type business recently what are the up to date figures.

The days of talking are over- that has been tried over the last 20 years.

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS

Keep it going

Well done DGOBA

Does Mr Brady not understand that a decision to close a profitable stadium is yet another poor decision in a long line of poor decisions and finally the greyhound fraternity are saying "enough".

Mr Brady cites the welfare of hounds - does he not realise he is patronising the very people who spend 52 weeks of the year caring for their dogs so why would welfare be a concern?

Meet with the greyhound men and women Mr Brady. It is an opportunity for you to listen and learn.

if the are that worried about the financial difficulties then why dont they stop claiming exorbitant expenses. limerick GOBA sticking their head in the sand and not supporting the DGOBA very disappointing

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lynda bonner wrote:

Ken Mann wrote: I have read the statement issued by Dr Sean Brady CEO at least 6 times now. My initial reaction was one of anger. Anger at the suggestion that I, as someone who supports the picket, could cause a welfare issue for the greyhounds I love so much, that I would somehow try to damage the industry and its commercial operations to advance my interests, my only interest being the best interest of the greyhound industry, now my anger has changed to one of resolve, my resolve to support the DGOBA in their mission to save Harolds Cross Greyhound Stadium, this resolve is even stronger now than it was pre this statement. I believe this is no longer just about saving a single greyhound stadium from closure, but about saving a whole industry. The unity shown over the past two weeks is very exciting. This unity shows me that all the stakeholders have the ability and willingness to come together and work together for the sport we love so much. This unity has been noticed by the people in power. We are the owners, the trainers, the breeders, the supporters of these great animals and this great sport. We are the ones who buy the dogs, we are the ones who train and look after our great athletes in all types of weather, we care and nurture our brood bitches through weeks of pregnancy and sit up all night as the derby, oaks, gold cup and graded race winners are born, we stand in all types of weather at tracks around the country spending our hard earned money to support this industry, it is time for our voice to be listened to, united we stand and will be heard. This statement is an insult. We are not a mob, we are not a violent group of individuals setting out to expose owners and trainers who want their dogs to race, patrons, staff and service providers to unwarranted stress, tension and possibly intimidation, Alan Redmond PRO of the DGOBA had already made a statement on this issue stating that the DGOBA intended NOT intimidate any individual who crossed the picket, and went further to say every individual had to make their own decision if they would cross the picket or not and was free to do so. It is the IGB that is causing the tension and stress with their mismanagement of the whole industry. Lets all STAY UNITED, STAY TOGETHER and SPEAK AS ONE. What a powerful intense and heartfelt statement...THIS sums up my sentiment and would be a mission statement I would gladly follow. This is what the interim CEO may not yet have grasped in his 21 days in office. United we stand...

The interim CEO has come into post with a wealth of financial experience, surely he can see gapping holes in the Indecon Report which was simply a financial report based on data available before 2014. He said himself our financial position is different now. He has the opportunity to reevaluate our financial situation, explore other avenues to generate revenue, reduce debt, negotiate loans....to make business decisions that (following the IGBs failed 'rezoning application) does not devalue Hx any further as a prime asset or sell it off when it is a vibrant and highly profitable business.

We are NOT the enemy...we passionately want our industry to succeed and years of poor decisions have left us in this crisis....we can't change the past but we must change the present...the IGB must rethink their strategy to deal with financial challenges, anti-racing pressure, welfare issues and the almost whole hearted agreement between stakeholder groups that there is a distinct lack of meaningful dialogue with the IGB.

Whilst Dr Brady's statement said 'some involved in the greyhound industry' proposed a picket, we know 'many involved in the greyhound industry' supported the DGOBA's picket including:

IGOBF
Tipperary GOBA
GIGIS (FB Group)
GRII
Greyhound Industry Stakeholders - Northern Ireland (FB Group)
Western GOBA
GPS Group
North East GOBA
Bookmakers (who usually stand at Shelbourne)
Mullingar GOBA
Waterford GOBA
Tralee GOBA
Cork GOBA
Mid West GOBA

I look forward to what this unity can bring for the betterment of our industry.

We have plenty of anti racing groups trying to cancel racing. Yesterday there was a post floating around on Facebook on exactly how much money the government infuse to greyhound racing and it annoys taxpayers, especially when they see families sleeping rough because there is no money to build homes for them, life ensuring operations are cancelled because there are not enough staff, beds etc due to lack of money.

Yes we have problems with the governing body in IGB, is it something we should plaster in the face of race goers - absolutely NOT !

Anti-Racers aren't campaigning to have our racing cancelled for 1 night, they want our industry banned indefinitely.

We are supplying our product to the IGB with little or no say in how decisions are made regarding any aspect of our industry including past financial decisions that have left us in this mess, important welfare issues, or the constructive use of the taxpayers money that the IGB divides out as only they see fit.

We are under heavy threat from anti-racers yet the data we need to support our responses is held by the IGB. It is them who need to release statements in response to propaganda and as Anthony pointed out earlier, there are 7 members of the IGB on 100k + salaries. Surely 1 could focus on the public image of our sport and responses to propaganda with explanations of exactly where the taxpayers money has been spent for the good of the huge workforce the IGB employs and the wider racing community.

The DGOBA set up a picket to protest against the selling of Hx, a key asset for the IGB that has been devalued since the IGB blindly followed the Indecon Report's recommendation to sell it. Their application for rezoning met heavy criticism including a petition of over 2,500 stakeholders who said selling HX was the wrong course of action. But they went ahead, ignored feedback including that from local councillors, and lost their request for rezoning by (33/2 votes if I recall correctly). That failure knocked millions off the value of our key asset. We have a thriving highly profitable track that they still are determined to sell...unfortunately at a much reduced price as a result of the continuation of poor decision making over the last year. Those are the sorts of points the media would have heard should the picket have gone ahead tonight. But, the IGB intervened.

Yes, the IGB cancelled racing tonight but the issue will still be there tomorrow. We await our next call to action as a United group of stakeholders throughout Ireland. We love our industry, we love our hounds...we have put aside our differences for the common goal of 'needing' to influence decision making for the betterment of all.

The racing at Drumbo had to be called off as the surface was too hard to race on..

Did everyone go home? No way, the craic was mighty and everyone enjoyed their night eating, drinking and being merry whilst watching racing on screens from tracks across Ireland and having their flutters on the TOTE.

Therefore, cancelling racing came as a huge surprise to me but it's not the first time the IGB have cancelled a night's racing in recent times.

I hope people take time to read this superb post...so many accurate and heartfelt points in it. We love our industry, our hounds and our actions are solely for the betterment of our industry.

Shelbourne Park greyhound racing cancelled Greyhound board fears a demonstration will lead to intimidation of staff and dog owners..

Saturday night greyhound racing at Dublins Shelbourne Park has been cancelled following concerns a planned demonstration would lead to intimidation of dog owners and staff.

The protest follows plans by the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) to sell the Harolds Cross track. Opposed to the move, the Dublin Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association (DGOBA) called for its members to withdraw their dogs and mount a picket at Shelbourne today. It rejected any suggestion intimidation would be a feature of the demonstration.

In a statement, it said the action reflects the frustration felt by greyhound supporters who have watched an arrogant and incompetent board run the industry into the ground, and said the issues did not concern the Harolds Cross sale alone.

The board of IGB have been dishonest and totally disrespectful towards owners by undermining representative organisations and refusing to engage in any meaningful way.

Dr Sen Brady, IGB chief executive, said the proposed demonstration was disappointing at a time of financial uncertainty. The board has debts of 21.6 million. A Government report in 2014 recommended asset disposals including the sale of Harolds Cross, described by dog owners as the historic Dublin mans track.

In a statement, Dr Brady said Saturday racing was cancelled in the interest of animal welfare and of owners, trainers, staff and patrons.
Such a protest will expose owners and trainers who want their dogs to race, our patrons, our staff and our service providers to unwarranted stress, tension and possibly intimidation.

The issue was raised in the Seanad by Labour Senator Denis Landy, a representative of the Irish GOBA. He has asked Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed to intervene in a wider industry crisis requiring legislation to address a number of issues.

EXTERNAL LINK