A severe overnight frost led to the postponement of the final day of the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel, which thousands of enthusiasts were expected to attend.

Coursing: The Doolan family in Clarina, Co Limerick, can’t wait for tomorrow to dawn as they head to Clonmel for the National Coursing Meeting where their bitch Breska Lantern is favourite for the Oaks.

In an announcement made yesterday afternoon at Harold’s Cross stadium by Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Tom Hayes, it was revealed that the Irish Greyhound Board has signed a five-year partnership with Dublin Coach, a deal which includes sponsorship of the Puppy Derby at Harold’s Cross.

The Irish Coursing Club (ICC) has confirmed that six samples taken from runners at this year’s National Meeting in Clonmel have tested positive for banned substances.

Living the dream, that’s Ian Reilly from Skryne in the county of Meath. A dog-lover all his days, born and bred into the world of greyhound racing, in February 2002 Ian took a plunge, ventured into the precarious career of full-time trainer.

There are people in coursing the length and breadth of Ireland who have been walking dogs for decades, mile after mile day after day in hail, rain, wind, snow and sleet, in hopes of winning that elusive Derby or Oaks Trial Stake and with it, that coveted pass to the annual National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel.

For 51 weekends of the year Sevenhouses is just a crossroads on the R697 a few miles south of Kilkenny; on the second weekend of January however, every year, it becomes a Mecca for the tight-knit coursing community, last-chance-saloon to qualify for the great annual National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel a few weeks later.

The decisive moments in the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel will take place on Powerstown Park this afternoon but with two days completed, it already feels like a success for the Irish Coursing Club.

If it weren’t a dream, this weekend’s National Coursing Meeting could be a logistical nightmare for prolific trainer Ger Holian.

There’s a photo that has pride of place on a wall in a comfortable home in Cork city, a photo that has been a long, long time in the framing.

Aside from a keen and active interest in coursing, John O’Sullivan runs the very successful Dublin Coach company, and the Clare-native, now resident in Kildare, is eager to merge the two, with an eye to promoting next month’s National Coursing Meeting at Clonmel.

Quay Co-op vegetarian restaurant, 24 Sullivan’s Quay, Cork; Tel: 021-4317026; www.quaycoop.com

It has been quite a week for the greyhound industry this far with the three splendid days of sport at Clonmel and then the highly encouraging figures released by the Irish Greyhound Board.

We’ve spoken before in these pages about the earthiness of those who go to Clonmel every year for the annual National Coursing Meeting, of how grounded they are in nature, how self-sufficient.

CLONMEL once again lived up to its first day tradition of shocks when the National Coursing Meeting got underway yesterday.

For 87 years they’ve been travelling to a green, mostly windswept corner of Co Tipperary for the highlight of their sporting year, and yesterday was no exception as up to 10,000 hardy annuals attended the National Coursing Meeting.

“You have to have a dream,” says David Curtin; “Everyone needs a dream.”

FROM THE privileged vantage point of the balcony high up in the stand, Limerick Racecourse was a picture yesterday morning, a radiant rural sunlit sight, everything perfectly in place for the 105th Irish Cup Meeting.

I WOULD like to compliment your coursing correspondent Diarmuid O’Flynn on his excellent coverage of the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel recently.

THE Kieran Lynch trained Elegant Rumble claimed his place in the semi-final of the Guinness Trophy when winning the run-off at Curraheen Park yesterday morning.

ANTI-coursing campaigners have vowed to continue their fight despite the likelihood of their only political allies being voted out of the Dáil.

IT was a disastrous day for favourite backers on the second day of the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel yesterday, with the long odds favourites in both the Derby and Oaks going out.

One rule today, I say to myself again. No judgments. My first coursing meeting will be all about the occasion. Rights and wrongs for another day.

At 7.25am the alarm went off, before 7.30 he was out in the kennel, checking on Glanmore Susan; she was fine, even better than fine – “Hopping off the ground!”

IT WAS the biggest and best sporting event in Ireland not just yesterday but all week.

The first day of the last big classic of the coursing season, the JP McManus Irish Cup, and there he was, Brian Tansey, taking up his usual position on the viewing balcony at the top of the stand in Limerick racecourse in Patrickswell.

THE shocks and surprises of the previous two days continued on the final day of the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel yesterday where Kingsmill Dynamo, bred by Sean Bleeks, trained by Aidan Roche in Gorey and owned by the Roche-Fitzpatrick Syndicate from Arklow, Co. Wicklow captured the Boylesport.com Derby.

Diarmuid O’Flynn talks to retiring ICC Chief Executive Jerry Desmond, who for the last 22 years has overseen the running of the minority sport.

THOUSANDS of fans from home and abroad gathered in a sporting venue for the top meeting of its kind, and not a prawn sandwich in sight. It must be the coursing.

THOUSANDS of hare coursing fans are due to descend on Tipperary for the annual three-day national championships.

Thousands of hare coursing fans are due to descend on Ireland for the annual three-day national championships.

YOU can show something for what it is, you can show something for what it isn't.

Animal rights activists have accused hard man Vinnie Jones of glamorising hare coursing and have ordered him to stay away from the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel later this month.

WHEN the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel, the biggest event in Irish Coursing, was still a pup, the Irish Cup was already full-grown.

I FELL in love with the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel yesterday at around the time I stumbled across a video in one of the stalls called Ferrets At Work.

FOR THE participants, day one of the annual National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel is the worst.

It’s Pat Curtin’s first visit to the National Coursing Meeting in Clonmel as an ‘official’ trainer. However, he boasts two live contenders in Boavista and Smoking Banner. Diarmuid O’Flynn got the lowdown.

MORE races, extra money and later finishes to meetings is the Irish Greyhound Board’s latest move to boost turnover at the developed tracks.