Planning crux may see racing continue at Tralee
It has been a particularly traumatic week for racing in the Kerry town, after they lost the first four days of their ‘final’ five-day Festival, because of the weather, and tomorrow’s card is, of course, subject to a 3pm inspection this afternoon.
Ballybeggan Park was originally due to close it’s gates to racing for the last time at the conclusion of tomorrow’s meeting, but Horse Racing Ireland has re-scheduled most of what was lost this week to next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Of much more importance right now, however, is Kerry County Council’s refusal to grant full planning, which has thrown the cat very much among the pigeons and makes it far from certain that racing is finished as far as Tralee is concerned.
Developers, John Casey and Seamus O’Halloran, had sought permission to build apartments, houses, some 320 of them, a shopping scheme, retail warehousing and a business park, as well as a GAA stadium, to replace Austin Stacks Stadium in the town, on the site.
But Kerry County Council refused to buy into the entire plan and only gave permission for the stadium, small shops and a nine acre Town Park.
They based the decision on the historic significance of Ballybeggan Park, that it was a sporting and leisure facility and on what racing has meant to the town for so many years.
Barrett has long been a vociferous advocate of racing continuing at Ballybeggan Park and says he has been involved with the course for over 30 years.
Said Barrett: “The developers’ plans are dead, that is now a fact of life. Let’s all pull together, instead of against each other, to develop Ballybeggan Park into a sports’ facility that not only could be the best in Kerry, but the best in Munster.
“The developers’ plans, as far as I’m concerned, are off the table. What we need to do now is to sit down and formulate a proper plan.
“I want to bring together the GAA, Horse Racing Ireland, Bord na gCon and the Government lotto.
“Let’s put a committee together to work as a team, to work for the good of our town and the county as a whole.
“Next year is the 50th anniversary of the Rose Of Tralee, a Festival which was built around racing to give impetus to tourism in the town.
“While the Festival is on at Tralee, racing is currently due to be at Killarney and that just doesn’t make any sense.”
Ballybeggan Park Race Company has acccepted a €48m offer from the property consortium, payable on condition of full planning being granted. A non-refundable €1m has already been handed over to Ballybeggan Park Race Company.
It now seems highly likely the developers will appeal Kerry County Council’s decision to An Bord Pleanala.
That is all going to take plenty of time, however, so there seems little point in Ballybeggan Park remaining closed as a racecourse!
The fixture list for 2009 has already been published by Horse Racing Ireland. No dates were allocated to Tralee, simply because they did not, obviously, apply for any.
But Barrett, and like-minded people in the town, see no reason, given the changed circumstances, why racing cannot take place at Tralee next year.
Should Ballybeggan Park Race Company decide they want to hold racing after all then there has to be every possibility of receiving a sympathetic hearing from HRI.
