Racegoers’ haunt gets fresh lease as place of worship

Gamblers have once again been banished from a temple in a modern twist on the biblical tale.

A hotel and restaurant which once played host to thousands of punters attending the nearby Galway racecourse has begun a new life — as a parish church.

The Racing Lodge on the outskirts of Galway City, once the favoured haunt of racegoers, took on a very different identity over the weekend when the first Mass was celebrated there.