The decision was taken due to financial considerations.
The Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) have confirmed that the famous Harold’s Cross Greyhound Station is to close with immediate effect.
In a statement released on Monday, the IGB said the decision was taken with regret and that racing activities in Dublin will be concentrated in IGB’s national stadium, Shelbourne Park, located approximately two miles from Harold’s Cross.
All 12 staff that worked at Harold’s Cross, meanwhile, will be offered redeployment by the IGB.
The decision to close Harold’s Cross was primarily a financial one, with the IGB admitting that they have been struggling with a legacy debt burden of over €20 million since the completion of the Limerick Stadium project at a cost of €21 million in 2011.
The IGB say that there is no alternative to selling Harold’s Cross to realise its asset value, a recommendation made in the Indecon Report, commissioned in 2014 by Government and accepted by the Board of the IGB.
Unless the debt issue is addressed, they say, no viable future exists for the industry and the sale of Harold’s Cross offers the most significant opportunity to reduce that debt.
The IGB statement can be read in full here.
