Below is an unofficial directory of some of the schooling tracks in Ireland. Please feel free to contact me with additions or to notify me of any errors.
If any of this data is incorrect I am sorry - please always call the proprietor to make sure they are open when you intend to travel.
(pictures courtesy of Wendy Kollar - copied from www.GlobalGreyhounds.com)
DONASKEIGH, Co. Tipperary. Prop: Billy Hayes (062-71148)
Open: Sun 10-1pm; Weds 10-1pm,7-9pm. Sat 10-1pm, 2-3pm;
Times comparison 330yd: 19.00 will qualify. 18.00 will be good. 1760 Open Class. Immaculately kept, sprinklers, floodlights. I have spent many a winter's evening in the waiting room warming myself on the stove, talking with doggymen. A real haven for died-in-the-wool dog folk. Pat Buckley, Owen McKenna are all regulars here.
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ABBEYLEIX, Co. Laois. Prop: Ricky Coles (0502 31323/087 7927019)
Open: Sun 10-1pm; Weds 10-1pm. Sat 10-1pm.
Times comparison: The 525 trip is about 30 slower than at Newbridge. 19.30 will be equiv to qualifying time. The first thing you notice when you get here is the sheer size of the track - reportedly modelled on Shelbourne Park, this track has lush grass straights and sand bends - twice the radius of most schooling tracks. Ricky is an ace at getting dogs going and his reputation is huge. Seamus Graham starts all his pups here including Mega Delight, Premier Fantasy, etc.
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ERRILL, Co. Laois. Prop: Joe Tierney
Open: Sun 10am-1pm; Weds 10am-1pm, 7pm-9pm(Summer). Sat 10am-1pm, 2pm-3pm;
Times comparison 300yd: 18.00 will qualify. 17.00 will be good. 1670 Open Class. Track Record Ms Firecracker 16.25 - six months later she won the Oaks. A tight track - the one advantage this place has is the noisy, rattling hare - only a pure dodge won't pay interest to this lad. Joe Tierney is a very fair haredriver and is a good judge of a dog too.
MULLINAHONE, Co. Tipperary (052 53286)
Open: Sun 10am-1pm; Tues 10am-1pm, Sat 10am-1pm.
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BANTEER, Co. Cork. Prop: Michael Crowley (087 2806183)
Open: Sun 9am-12.30pm; Tues 10am-1pm, Sat 10am-1pm.
Times comparison: you take off 30/40 spots for the sprint and take off at least 60spots for the 525. For example, a reader of the blog informs me that his open class sprinter doing 16.20 Clonmel, 17.70 Galway & 16.30 at Limerick will shade 18.20-25 in Banteer for the 330.
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KNOCKLONG, Co. Limerick
Times comparison: First time in the box, if you do under 20.00 you should be satisfied. If you get one doing near 19 seconds you could have a star. If you have a racer doing 18.20/30 you are in business! Ian Greaves travels 2hrs & 15mins each way from Monasterevin to this track - that says it all.
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NEWCASTLEWEST, Co. Limerick. Prop: Liam Corbett (085-7272688)
Times Comparison: According to Liam Corbett "Anything under 19.00 first time in traps on a normal track is a real good run. Good pups before their first race would be breaking 18.00. This would equate to sub 29.20 if getting a clear run and staying well. Top class pups would do between 17.60 and 17.80 and if they could stay well, this would equate to sub 28.80. A few examples - Mahers Boy did 17.85 at 14 months old and sold to the UK. Razl Dazl Billy did 17.60 at 17 months."
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FIELD OF DREAMS, Gulladuff, Co. Derry. Prop: Joe Hurley (0(044)7886 437 513)
Open: Wed, Sat & Sun from 11am to 1pm.
The surface of this track is the revolutionary Starmat fibre developed by the proprietor. Apparently the safesy track in the country.
Paul McCusker writes "Its dimensions are identical to Liffords which is more than handy and they run pretty similarly for the sprints but Hurleys is 20/25 slower for a 525"
Records: 325yds - 17.13; 350yds -18.40; 525 - 28.78;
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MOURNEABBEY, Burnfort, Co. Cork. Prop: Paddy Dorgan (0879721430)
Open: Tues and Thurs 10am to 1pm. 6 30 pm to 7 30 pm. Sat and Sun 10 am to 1pm.
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DUNGARVAN, Co Waterford. Prop: Michael Walsh (0872570457)
Trials by appointment
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RATHANGAN, Co. Kildare. Prop: Mick Broughals (087-2913459)
Open: wed, Sat and Sun 10am-1pm
Directions: couple of miles outside Rathangan on road to Allenwood.
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THE WILD GOOSE, Ardee, Co. Louth. Prop: Dennis Mc Ardle (087 2437518)
Open: Sun 10am - 1pm
From Greyhound-Data "525 in the Wild Goose is reckoned to be 1.4 slower than Dundalk, so if your dog did 30.40 he is supposedly running to 29.00 in Dundalk"
Directions "Coming from Monaghan take N 2 out of Carrickmacross keep going till you cross the river Glyde then first left over rd approx. 1 mile its behind a big green warehouse."
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TOOMEBRIDGE, Co Antrim Prop. Damian McCann (02879650339)
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