Liam Dowling: ‘The greyhound community will keep going. They have nothing to be ashamed of’
Liam Dowling with one of the many greyhounds he trains at his kennel in Ballymacelligott , Co Kerry.
It’s been a tumultuous month for the greyhound industry with the Social Democrats calling for state funding of the sport to be phased out while Fergus Finlay described existing government support as ‘a fundamental waste of public money.’
Liam Dowling, one of Ireland’s most successful track trainers, this week launched a passionate defence of the industry and hits back at the "vile propaganda" against the sport. He spoke to
People are very upset. Covid has naturally had a huge impact on our sport. Tracks are open but no crowds are allowed in. Then, in recent weeks, we have been hit with a campaign full of stories about the mistreatment of greyhounds. These claims are totally untrue. People are annoyed, disappointed and angry. People feel that someone needs to reply and tell the truth about this. I know that by doing this interview I will make myself a target for intimidation by a group who are waging a relentless campaign of lies, unsubstantiated claims, and vile propaganda against the greyhound community.
I feel compelled to stand up for a community which has been under the spotlight recently for all the wrong reasons, culminating with the failed attempt by certain politicians to have funding for the Greyhound industry wiped out.
There are bad eggs in every part of society, you name it, they are there. In the last five or six years the greyhound authorities have really upped their game and I would say that the cowboys have been taken out.
What percent were cowboys? Less than one? Those were mainly people who did not know enough about what they were doing. If you want to walk into anyone’s kennels you will see just how well the greyhounds are treated. The sport has become so much more regulated. But what annoyed greyhound people most about that programme was that it took this tiny portion of bad eggs and painted it as being the entire community.
It also included a film of animal abuse in China. That was in China! What has that got to do with us in Ireland? Absolutely nothing.
We don’t even know if it was a greyhound in that film. Lately, there was a photograph online and in newspapers of a TD standing outside a greyhound stadium holding a placard of an emaciated dog which again raised huge question marks over greyhound racing in Ireland. But it has since emerged that the picture in question was taken in New Mexico 20 years ago.
The distress caused by an outrage (which followed the Prime Time programme) that had nothing whatsoever to do with Ireland, will never be forgotten by us.
Absolutely positive. I wouldn’t go making a statement like that unless it could be backed up.
What has a picture like that got to do with greyhound people in Ireland at the moment? Nothing - but it suits the agenda against the sport. People have a perception of it now because they have seen it on telly and I have to go and defend it. I shouldn’t have to go and defend the sport that I love.
To me certain areas of society are getting a bashing at the moment: greyhound racing, horse racing, beef farming. It is only a matter of time before everyone gets the call to be ended.
At this minute, greyhounds seem to be the biggest fall guy - and I wouldn’t be surprised if there is funding coming from America to help this to happen. When that (the campaign against greyhounds) succeeds the campaign will move onto horse racing, then to beef farming and so on, and so on.
The ‘anti’ sentiment is in the newspapers but the biggest place where greyhound sport is under attack is on social media. Social media to me is ‘fogged’ up, some people are sitting in front of computers, bashing, bashing and bashing.
The number of people doing it are miniscule but they are on that day in and day out. I firmly believe that they are being funded to do it. This kind of campaigning started in America 40 years ago and has nearly wiped out greyhound racing there. It is just a total and constant bashing. This constant torturing of those involved in greyhounds on social media - and by the media - is very upsetting.
That is the way things are nowadays. It is frightening and bad for society. People can put whatever they want to put up on Facebook and claim that it is true. Take a look at some of the scurrilous things written about the Kerry footballers after they lost to Cork in the Munster Championship. That is the way that society is going.
To me it is a source of bullying: people with agendas are picking a target and then bashing and bashing. When that is done they just move onto their next prey. It is very easy to point a finger at someone or something and say ‘this is wrong or that is wrong’.
But where is the proof? The greyhound community is made up of very strong people and they will keep going. They have nothing to be ashamed of.
This has been driven by a couple of TDs but they don’t even know the sport. They have probably never even been to a greyhound track in their lives.
We are talking about greyhounds chasing a mechanical lure here. Greyhounds love to chase and race in the same way that retrievers retrieve or a sheepdog herds. Greyhound racing is a night’s entertainment, it has been a huge means of fundraising throughout Ireland. I can’t see where the problem lies.
The Social Democrats tried to vote down the funding but it failed dismally. Where is their story coming from? What are they basing all of this on? Is it because of a picture of an emaciated dog in New Mexico? Or a film from China? What in hell has that got to do with Ireland and our greyhound community? Or are they just mad trying to kill country traditions?
I don’t know what else it could be. It is very, very degrading for people involved and for their families. I’d challenge you to go into every kennel in the country and if you come back and show me a dozen bad kennels - or even six bad kennels - in the entire country, I’d be hugely surprised.
But I find it is strange for parties who claim to be representing the working class that they would jeopardise the livelihoods of thousands of people connected to greyhound racing. It is bad enough in ordinary times but to do so with the backdrop of Covid, when some people are worried where the next euro is going to come from, is mystifying.
What people don’t understand is the figure which is being bandied about is actually from a betting levy. We are not given any outside money, that money is from what is generated in the betting shops.
There is no actual 18 or 20 million being taken out of the state purses and away from other areas to give specifically to greyhound racing. Horse Racing Ireland are under the same remit (The monies are from the Horse and Greyhound fund). This is money collected from the industry by way of a levy and it is being reinvested in greyhound racing.
It would not exist to be spent in other areas if the industry did not exist.
Greyhounds are also a multi-million euro industry and that was borne out by a recent report from a high profile economist, Jim Power.
The greyhound industry has 10,000 people employed. Of the general guys, like myself, I have seven full-time employees. There are thousands of people directly employed around the country. Then there are all the tracks, the maintenance people, the catering, the Tote staff, the grounds people.
Then you look at all the ancillary industries, the butchers, the meat suppliers, the millers, the veterinary people plus numerous other ones. There is a huge amount of money being spent in the greyhound industry directly or indirectly - are these politicians looking to just pull the plug on all of that.?
This notion of ‘not fast enough dogs’ is totally untrue. Where is that coming from? You can race a dog from an A0 which is a wide open dog all the way down to an A-10 which is equivalent to a team playing in Division Four of a National Football League.
The point is that there is a market for each and every one of those dogs. These dogs are all rehomed afterwards. At this moment in time there is a scarcity of greyhounds in terms of rehoming in Ireland. There is actually a waiting list. These dogs aren’t just being rehomed in Ireland but in Europe and Canada.
Once a greyhound finishes racing they can be rehomed with the help of the GRI (Greyhound Racing Ireland)/IRGT (Irish Retired Greyhound Trust) if they are not being kept as a pet. Along with a new rehoming and care facility there is information on the website about the new GRI sponsored rehoming centres.
People have this perception of greyhounds not making great pets but I know that this attitude is changing.
Definitely crowds have reduced going through the gates, but I think all the sporting organisations are the same. That is due to the fact that every race in the country is now available online and can be watched from the comfort of your home which might be more attractive on a cold winter’s night.
But that is still generating betting revenue for the sport and bookmakers pay also a fee to broadcast some events.
Are the next generation supporting greyhound racing? I would have no hesitation in saying that they are - but it might be as much through their phones or their computers as being at the track itself.
I have no idea how those figures were arrived at in the past. But at the moment we are hearing that there are waiting lists of people looking to have a retired greyhound as a pet. One rehoming centre calling it ‘unprecedented’ and are having to close down applications in order to find greyhounds for those already on their list.
Also figures from dog pounds in 2019 show that less than 5% of dogs surrendered to them are actually greyhounds - other breeds make up the majority.
I know that Fergus Finlay was an advisor to Dick Spring when he opened the renovated Kingdom Greyhound stadium. Dick Spring, who was then the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, was a greyhound owner and an avid supporter. How allegiance has changed!
I’d also like to ask Mr Finlay if Barnardos benefited from any monies raised from one of the great charity fundraisers ‘A Night at the Dogs’ when he was CEO of that same organisation?
I don’t think so. I’ve friends in Cork, Dublin, Galway and they are great greyhound people and keep dogs in the cities. I’ve seen their kennels and these dogs are in duvets, heated kennels.
Some even have access to swimming pools and jacuzzis. I’m not going to blow up something that isn’t there.
Let’s not forget the millions raised for charities nationwide for many years by a ‘Night at the Dogs’ events. Schools, churches, GAA and soccer clubs and children’s charities all benefited over the years.
I have heard several stories of hard working and resourceful school principals and charity group management being harassed by fanatical ‘antis’ trying to force them not to have a ‘Night at the Dogs’ to raise funding.
Thankfully once again many of the well-informed see through these tactics and won't be bullied. They haven't forgotten the greyhound community has been front and centre in providing a fantastic venue and night of fun to aid our local and national charities on an ongoing basis over many years.
Go to your local kennel, investigate it yourself, come to a greyhound stadium and see for yourself. Don’t make your judgement just because you saw something on Facebook.
I’m not alone as every trainer I know is doing their level best to keep their dogs in tip top condition.
Huge strides have been made in this field and the highest standards of regulation are applied. But then again there are none so blind as those who don’t want to see.
My facts can all be checked but I have my doubts about others. If you have genuine concerns simply go and get them addressed by the relevant authorities or contact your local politician.
A free-for-all on social media will never end and many people will get hurt along the way.
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