£100,000 facelift for Enniscorthy track

May 1995

Enniscorthy greyhound stadium is to benefit from a £100,000 facelift, with a little help from Bord na gCon. Minister Ivan Yates was at the Ross Road track last week to announce a development grant from the board which will cover 80% of the cost.

The money will be spent making a night at the dogs more attractive than ever for patrons at the venue. This means more seats and better viewing in the bar area, where the racing may be watched in warmth and comfort from behind glass.

‘ This is being done with a view to increasing attendances and tourism alike,’ explained Ivan Yates. The idea is to allow Enniscorthy compete with other leisure facilities and with the luxury offered by such tracks as Shelburne Park in Dublin.

At Waterford track, for example, there are 200 seats in the bar, while the current layout in Enniscorthy provides just 20. Now all that will change, and customers will also be able to place a bet on the tote without leaving the warmth of the bar.

‘Our dog facilities are second to none,’ insisted secretary Mary Nolan, ‘ but customer facilities are still as they were 30 years ago, when the existing bar was built’.

The work will go out to tender shortly, as soon as planning permission has been secured.

The privately owned venue will have to raise at least £20,000 of its own to top up the grant approved at Bord nag Con headquarters in Limerick. The Enniscorthy directors have been lobbying the board for some time to obtain the development grant.