Arts Council has “no concern” over using greyhound racing venue for Culture Night

Documents released to the Green Party via Freedom of Information requests show that despite some initial confusion over ticketing, which saw the park event removed from the Culture Night website, the Arts Council have "no concern" about the venue.

"We have no issue with the inclusion of Shelbourne Park to the Culture Night programme in
Dublin, offering free entry to the park/museum for Culture Night audiences," one email reads.

"Our understanding is that the event will be published again as soon as free entry has been
clarified with Dublin City Council. I hope that is helps clarify the matter, and can assure you, that we have no other concern around the inclusion of Greyhound Racing Ireland and Shelbourne Park and indeed are very encouraged to see the growing level of interest by so many organisations in this national
event."

A member of Greyhound Racing Ireland, whose name has been redacted, emailed a reply demanding to know if animal welfare activists had a hand in the delisting:

“While acknowledging your confirmation of the Arts Council support which we welcome, the post by the group “Ban Blood Sports” thanking the Arts Council for its delisting of Shelbourne Park hasn’t been addressed in any response," the email reads.

"I continue to be interested in whether the Arts Council had representations made to it by this group on the matter and if their post on X is factual. It would be appreciated if you were able to shed light on same for me.”

The Arts Council responded with their reassurance:

“Both the Arts Council and Dublin City Council had received some correspondence from activists in advance of this. However, the pausing of the listing was entirely due to the entry fee clarification, not as a result any objection. We can only assume that they made that assumption.

"It is possible they may draw further attention to this matter and if so, we will stand over Shelbourne Park’s participation in Culture Night, which is in line with terms and conditions of all other participants.”

Roderic O'Gorman, leader of the Green Party said the venue should never have been included.

"Greyhound racing is not art," he said.

"An industry in which two out of every three dogs die, is not art. It should not be promoted as part of our arts and culture offering.

"11,600 greyhounds were born in 2021. Of those, the Traceability system shows us that about 450 are still racing. The other 11,150 are inactive.

"Of those inactive dogs, 3,300 are dead. 1,500 have been rehomed - so 2:1 ratio of dogs being killed, to dogs being rehomed.

"And 5,300 have been exported overseas. And Ireland has no control over the conditions that they face.

For the Arts Council to say that they have no concern around the inclusion of Greyhound Racing Ireland and Shelbourne Park and indeed are encouraged by their inclusion in Culture Night is shameful. What’s next? An event at a hare coursing event?"