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Fergus Finlay: Greyhounds in Ireland face a cruel choice. Run very fast, or get killed

Greyhound racing is a sport that would simply not exist at all if it weren’t for a €20m subsidy that covers effectively 100% of its costs every year. A bad public policy if ever there was one
Fergus Finlay: Greyhounds in Ireland face a cruel choice. Run very fast, or get killed

The idea that greyhounds are only happy if they’re chasing or savaging hares is a myth. In fact they have to be trained to do it. File photo: INPHO/Nick Elliott

For many of the years we’ve been married we’ve had a dog, often more than one. There was Hopscotch and Jo-Jo, Izzy (the best of them all) and Doglet, and then Lily. 

Izzy was big and gorgeous. But she was odd — a cross between a red setter and a collie. Collies are highly intelligent dogs; red setters are thick as planks. 

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