Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) / Greyhound Racing Ireland carried out a record 1,221 welfare inspections and investigations of greyhound establishments during 2021.
The number of inspections carried out by RCÉ Welfare Officers was almost double the number of inspections (615) carried out in 2019, the greyhound industry’s last full year of operation.
RCÉ Welfare Officers served 82 Fixed Payment Notices of €250 last year, for a range of offences, including failure to notify the sale, purchase, or death of a greyhound, under Section 10 (6) of the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011. This figure compares to 15 Fixed Payment Notices in 2019. An additional 10 Welfare Notices were served under the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 with 3 Welfare Notices being served under the Animal Health & Welfare Act 2013.
RCÉ secured two successful convictions in respect of breaches of the Welfare of Greyhounds Regulations 2016 with a €1,000 fine being imposed in one case and sentencing awaited in another. RCÉ was awarded costs of over €5,000 in each case.
“RCÉ takes a zero-tolerance approach to any breaches of the regulations relating to ownership, sale or treatment of greyhounds across Ireland,” commented Mr. Barry Coleman (RCÉ Care & Welfare Manager)
He continued, “While compliance with legislation and engagement with our Traceability System remains very high, RCÉ is fully committed to ensuring the welfare of greyhounds across the State is protected. Our team of Welfare Officers will continue to carry out extensive inspections during 2022 and where necessary, impose sanctions following investigations.”
Mr. Coleman urged owners and trainers to remind themselves of their statutory requirements under the Welfare of Greyhounds Act 2011 and their obligation to provide regular updates on their greyhounds on the Rásaíocht Con Éireann Traceability System (RCÉTS).
The rollout of RCÉTS has been completed on a phased basis since January 2021. This has included an educational programme for owners and trainers with a comprehensive roadshow nationwide to all stadia to assist them with the setup and registration of user profiles and providing updates. Phase Two of the RCÉTS, which is being rollout during 2022, will add further functionality and reporting to the system. This, amongst other life events recorded, will include the recording of injury data and the uploading of veterinary certificates.
Updates can be provided on www.rcets.ie or by downloading the RCÉTS IOS App in the Apple App Store or the RCÉTS Android App in the Google Play Store.
Thurles.info congratulates Padraic Maher on a magnificent hurling career following his retirement from the game of hurling on medical advice.
The Thurles Sarsfields and Tipperary hurler announced the shock decision this morning.
A true giant of the game, Padraic retires from the intercounty scene as holder of 3 All Ireland Senior Titles, 1 Under-21 All Ireland (as Captain in 2010) and 2 All Ireland Minor Hurling titles. Padraic won 6 All-Stars awards, the latest being in 2019 alongside his brother Ronan.
Padraic’s playing days with Thurles Sarsfields have also been cut short, and he can reflect proudly on his days in the famous Blue jersey as holder of 1 Munster Club Hurling Title and 7 Tipperary Senior Hurling Club Titles (Captaining the Sarsfields to 4 Dan Breen Titles) as well as numerous underage titles, with Thurles Sarsfields, Durlas Óg, Thurles CBS and Scoil Ailbhe.
Padraic was the lynchpin of the defence in every team he played in, and his strength, drive and swashbuckling style from the back epitomised the traditional values of Tipperary hurling. He represented the town of Thurles and his family with great honour throughout his playing days.
He stands tall amongst the greats of the historic game.
Payments firm Fiserv have been confirmed as sponsors of the new Tipperary jersey, following the Tipperary GAA’s announcement yesterday of a new two year sponsorship deal, replacing Teneo as their jersey sponsor, for both Tipperary hurlers and footballers.
This latest sponsorship is yet another uplift in the fortunes of Co. Tipperary’s finances, following on from the agreement announced last week with FBD Insurance, for naming rights to Semple Stadium.
The financial services technology business employs some 200 people in Nenagh here in north Tipperary and over 400 employees in Dublin.
Head of the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region at Fiserv, Mr John Gibbons stated that the company had strong links with Tipperary, having set up their Technology Centre in Nenagh in 2017, and were proud to partner with Tipperary GAA, supporting the county all the way to Croke Park.
Mr Tim Floyd, Secretary of the County Tipperary GAA Board, stated that from the beginning it was clear that Tipperary and Fiserv were aligned in a commitment to growing this great county, both with the same passion to achieve excellence.
The Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) and Munster Post Primary Schools GAA have signed a sponsorship deal that will see the newly designated TU provide financial and skills support to the provincial post primary school hurling and football competitions until 2025.
Pictured at the launch of the sponsorship where left to right, Adrian Flaherty, TUS, Liam O’Mahony, Chair National Post Primary Schools GAA, Prof. Vincent Cunnane, President TUS, Colm Hayes, Chair Munster Post Primary Schools GAA, Jimmy Browne, Vice President – Campus Services and Capital Development TUS and Eoin Ryan, Munster GAA Council, front row left to right, Luke Earls, Pierce Connery and Cathal Conroy, Kilmallock. Picture: Alan Place
There are approximately 130 schools across the six Munster counties participating in 30 competitions which will now be rebranded to include TUS, for example the TUS Dr Harty Cup and TUS Corn Uí Mhuirí.
For the next three and a half years, TUS will work in partnership with Munster PPS to provide further support to the post primary competitions both on and off the pitch. This will include financial investment, support in promoting the post primary school competitions, providing campus facilities for matches, and examining opportunities to provide coaches and strength and conditioning personnel to schools as part of an agreed development framework. Both organisations will also explore potential postgraduate research opportunities appropriate to the overall objectives of the Munster council.
Welcoming the agreement between TUS and Munster PPS GAA, President of TUS, Professor Vincent Cunnane said, “TUS has a strong track record of support and engagement with the Munster council, which has included among others the co-funding of development officers, and the use of facilities for games. With this new agreement TUS will deepen that relationship further and work with the Munster PPS committee to further develop the games at post primary school level.”
TUS Vice President Campus Services and Capital Development Mr Jimmy Browne added, “Sport has been a strong part of our identity here at TUS, and sport, particularly in the past two years during the Covid pandemic, has been an important part of young people’s development. It has been an anchor and a means of connection both in terms of our communities and our schools. From TUS’s point of view that connection and ethos of support and inclusion is a key part of who we are, and these principals align perfectly with Munster PPS GAA. The development of young people and what sport provides them with in terms of skills right through life, is a great fit with our educational ethos too, and that remains the focus of our partnerships with the GAA.”
Munster PPS GAA Chairperson Mr Colm Hayes said, “Munster Post-Primary Schools GAA is pleased to have secured a sponsorship deal with our new partners TUS, which will assist us in running our large programme of games and further help to promote Gaelic Games in our post-primary schools across the province. Great work is being done by teachers, coaching and games development personnel and coaches in post-primary schools across Munster and these competitions give schools the opportunity to introduce young exciting talent into their teams, giving our players a flavour of what is required at the top level. We look forward to working with TUS as partners over the next three and a half years.”
TUS Sports & Recreation Facilities Officer Mr Adrian Flaherty added, “This agreement is about the embedding of a longer partnership that will see TUS supporting post primary schools. As well as providing financial sponsorship, we will supply students from our various sports programmes, including our strength and conditioning programme, to schools as part of the agreement. This will allow us to assist students and coaches as well as support the Munster council in its work. We will also provide facilities for games, as well as promoting the Munster PPS games at every opportunity.”
Provincial PPS Servicing Officer Mr Eoin Ryan said, “We in Munster PPS GAA are delighted to be associated with TUS. Each year we run 30 competitions across three age grades in both hurling and football. Our competitions are based on inclusion and participation and with the support of TUS and through programmes such as the TY Future Leaders Programme, it is hoped that we will encourage future administrators, skills, strength and conditioning coaches, statisticians etc as well as finding the All Stars of tomorrow.”
At least 4 new Greyhound Care Centres to be introduced around Ireland.
Rásaíocht Con Éireann (RCÉ) / Greyhound Racing Ireland (GRI) has announced plans for the introduction of at least four new regional facilities across the country for the preparation and rehoming of retired racing greyhounds.
The Greyhound Care Centres, which are expected to be operational by March 2022, represent a significant expansion of RCÉ’s care centre programme.
RCÉ today commenced a tender process for the delivery of at least one Greyhound Care Centre in four separate regions, namely West Coast (Connacht), Munster & South Leinster (Munster, Wexford, Kilkenny, Carlow), Metropolitan (Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Wicklow, Louth) and Midlands/Ulster (Westmeath, Offaly, Longford, Cavan, Monaghan, Donegal).
The expansion of the care centre programme comes on foot of a record year for the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust (IRGT), which, in the year up to 30th November 2021, assisted in the rehoming of 2,000 greyhounds compared to 1,578 for the same period in 2020.
Mr Philip Peake (Interim CEO of RCÉ), said the purpose of the new care centres will be to prepare retired greyhounds for rehoming and enabling members of the public to view dogs before adopting them.
He continued, “The welfare of greyhounds is at the core of everything these care centres will provide for as evidenced by RCÉ’S tender specification for prospective operators. All facilities must abide by strict security, hygiene, and welfare standards, including maintaining exercise paddocks, food preparation areas and kennels to the highest standards consistent with the RCÉ’s recently launched ‘Code of Practice on the Care & Welfare of the Greyhound’.”
Mr. Peake said a specific focus of the new care centres will be to promote greyhounds as pets through use of social media and on-site visitor rooms.
“Each of the proposed care centres will feature a visitor room to facilitate engagement with potential adopters, to show DVDs of greyhounds which have been rehomed, to complete paperwork and to allow potential adopters sit with greyhounds for a period of time,” he added.
“Operators will also be obliged to use social media to promote retired greyhounds for rehoming, to provide regular updates and show photos/video of any training being provided to the greyhounds, to promote successful adoptions and to show photos/video of greyhounds living in their new homes,” concluded Mr. Peake.
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