Industry Update 2025
Rásaíocht Con Éireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland Industry Activity Report 2025
Irish Greyhound Racing Records Over 14,000 Races and €9.6m in Prize Money in 2025
Tuesday 31st March 2026
"As the Commercial Semi-State Company responsible for the governance, regulation, development and promotion of the Irish greyhound racing industry, and the health and welfare of racing greyhounds, we present our Industry Activity Report 2025. In line with the key values of, accountability, transparency, integrity and love of animals, which underpin our industry and sport, RCÉ/GRI is over its 5 year Strategic Plan period 2025-2029 , continues to develop its publication of information on the industry. This will demonstrate the strength of the greyhound racing industry, its coverage, vibrancy, and attention to welfare and racing integrity.
Greyhound racing across the country has a rich and valued heritage and has a deep sporting and cultural history in Ireland. Greyhound Racing stadia are active across 15 locations with up to 30 race meetings per week. They provide a range of offerings to the sport and industry enthusiasts, local customers including corporates and tourists who enjoy exciting entertainment and hospitality. Our stadia also enjoy a strong supportive connection with community-based groups who benefit from their relationship with the sport as a venue for fundraising and social and celebratory outings.
The year 2025 shows a total number of race fixtures of 1,494 across the 15 stadia with a total of 14,889 races held. Total entries were 88,126, with a prize money spend of €9.68m. The total number of greyhounds raced was 9,128 with 8,129, or 89%, benefitting from prizemoney. Across all race meetings, this represents a vibrancy and commitment level by the 4,393 active owners over the 12 months of 2025, and the 305 licenced trainers, to a sustainable sport and entertainment offering on a consistent basis.
Attendance levels for 2025 reached 351,637 which broadly maintained the 2024 level. This reflects an ongoing strong interest in greyhound racing, both as a sport in Ireland and as an entertainment and event offering for many across community, tourism and corporate sectors. Of particular note was the continued return to greyhound racing tracks over the Christmas festive period of November and December which led to an 82% capacity uptake in restaurant and corporate hospitality across RCÉ/GRI greyhound racing venues. Of note also was the overall attendance level of over 22,000 at RCÉ/GRI’s top 4 classic events, the JP and Noreen McManus sponsored Con and Annie Kirby Memorial and the Denis Murphy sponsored Irish St. Ledger at Limerick, the Bar One Racing Irish Laurels at Curaheen Park, Cork, the BoyleSports Irish Greyhound Derby at Shelbourne Park, Dublin, and the RCÉ/GRI Winter Racing Festival. Total Tote betting for the year 2025 was €12.18m of which €8.37 was on-track at stadia, while the remaining €3.81m was through on-line domestic and international sources. Overall employment number by RCÉ/GRI was 253 FTE across HQ, stadia and hospitality, tote, racing and regulation, welfare, veterinary and laboratory operations representing in excess of 600 persons in employment by RCÉ/GRI.
The role of RCÉ/GRI in greyhound racing industry regulation, racing integrity and attention to welfare is highly significant. RCÉ/GRI has a well-developed welfare inspection and greyhound sampling programme , the outcomes of which present an industry committed to it consistently maintaining exceptional standards of animal welfare and transparency. In 2025, welfare inspections undertaken which focus on standards at premises and greyhound welfare, had a 95.55 % level of compliance with the standards required as set out in our Code of Practice for the Care and Welfare of Greyhounds.
In a similar vein, with 5,874 samples taken from racing greyhounds, at racing events and during out of competition phases, and tested at our INAB accredited National Laboratory at Limerick, a pass rate of 99.3% underpins the attention given to greyhound racing welfare and integrity in the sport. Aligned with the welfare inspection and greyhound sampling performance outcomes, as a tripartite set of indicators across welfare, is the exceptionally low level of injury at greyhound racing tracks. In a race programme of 14,889 races in 2025 with 88,126 greyhound entries, the percentage of those greyhounds who raced at tracks without incurring an injury was 99.63%. This latter statistic reflects the high level of attention placed on racetrack preparation to achieve optimal racing conditions and the ongoing focus on racing greyhound welfare.
The role played by RCÉ/GRI through the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust in rehoming retired greyhounds is evidenced by the Trust directly itself, and through assisting partner organisations, having rehomed 1,213 retired greyhounds during 2025.
We look forward to the years ahead with ambition and confidence. We acknowledge the support of Government to the industry through the Programme for Government “Securing Irelands Future”, and that of a wide variety of commercial partners and stakeholders, our sponsors, our owners, breeders and trainers and those customers who attend our venues."
Tim Lucey
Chief Executive Officer
Rásaíocht Con Éireann/Greyhound Racing Ireland
March 2025
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