Cork greyhound stadium posts €230k loss

Operating losses at the company which runs Cork City’s greyhound stadium fell slightly last year, despite a marked decrease in activity.

The latest annual accounts for the Cork Greyhound Race Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the sport’s governing body, Bord na gCon, recorded operating losses of €229,248 in 2018, down from €234,345 the previous year.

The number of race meetings held at the Curraheen Park track in Bishopstown in 2018 was 103, down from 130 the previous year with a related decrease in the number of individual races from 1,310 to 1,126.

As a result, overall turnover at the stadium decreased by 19% to €559,874 with gate receipts down 25% to €280,755.

The total number of staff employed at the track last year was 13, including seven part-time employees.

The second biggest source of income was the concession fee of €113,671it received from Abargrove, another subsidiary of Bord na gCon which operates catering facilities at greyhound stadia around the country, Total prize money paid out last year was over €695,000 — down from €734,00 in 2017.

The vast majority of prize money — 78% of the total — was funded by Bord na gCon with the remainder coming from entry fees and sponsorship.