Greyhound lovers set course for hare-raising event

FOR the doggy men and women of the four corners of Ireland, this is their All-Ireland, their Cheltenham, their Heineken Cup, their Superbowl.

A headline-grabber it might not be, but the national coursing meeting in Clonmel is the be-all and end-all for thousands of enthusiasts from around the country, and even beyond, and this week the grass in the middle of a provincial, unfashionable racetrack becomes their field of dreams.

Last night, dozens of owners, trainers, breeders, and hangers-on went to sleep with those dreams intact, their four-legged friends having survived the first rounds of the Hotel Minella Oaks and the Boylesports Derby — the two big ‘classics’ in coursing.