Irish Dog Tracks: Shelbourne Park

Situated in the Dublin suburb of Ringsend on the banks of the River Dodder, the iconic Shelbourne Park is Ireland’s flagship greyhound racing stadium, and the world-renowned venue has been welcoming punters through its gates for close to a century.

While the stadium is engrained in local Irish sporting culture, Shelbourne Park also holds a glowing global reputation and plays host to some of the most famous events in greyhound racing, including the Irish Greyhound Derby, Champion Stakes and Irish Oaks.

Below, we’ve profiled Shelbourne Park to give you a flavour of the unique stadium’s prestige and standing in the sport.

A history of Shelbourne Park

Inspired by Manchester’s Belle Vue Stadium, Shelbourne Park was one of two greyhound racing stadiums launched by trailblazing quartet Jerry Collins, Patsy McAlinden, Paddy O’Donoghue and Jim Clarke in Ireland in 1927.

The foursome, who formed the National Racing Greyhound Company in 1926 after a recon mission to Belle Vue, opened Celtic Park in Belfast in 1927 before they focused their ambition on a second Irish stadium, Shelbourne Park, in the same year.

As soon as the gates opened for the first time in Dublin, Shelbourne Park quickly became a bustling hotspot for greyhound racing enthusiasts, and the Easter Cup became the track’s first major event when it was launched in 1928.

Four years later, Shelbourne Park managed to wrangle the Irish Greyhound Derby away from rival venue, Harold’s Cross. It was the ultimate power move and showed that Shelbourne Park was the new big dog of Irish greyhound racing.

In the decades since, Shelbourne Park has cemented its top dog status, adding the Irish Oaks, Champion Stakes and Juvenile Derby to its repertoire.

With Belfast’s Celtic Park shutting down in 1983 and Dublin rival Harold’s Cross following suit in 2017, Shelbourne Park became Ireland’s unopposed premier greyhound racing track. Four years later, the announcement of a €2.3m two-stage redevelopment plan by the Board of Rásaíocht Con Éireann (Greyhound Racing Ireland) secured the venue’s future, setting it up for more success.

What makes Shelbourne Park special?

The allure of Shelbourne Park begins with its location. Nestled between rows of terraced housing and the River Dodder, the unimposing structure is well-hidden and has the feel of a community secret happened upon by punters trawling the suburbs for entertainment.

The facilities at Shelbourne Park are exceptional, as are the sightlines to the track. There really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Away from the racing itself and the boisterous betting halls, visitors can sample the lavish bars and restaurants, which provide the perfect backdrop to the action on the rack.

There has been a consistent trickle of investment into Shelbourne Park, and it’s easy to see where the money has been spent. There are three different floors to explore in the stadium’s impressive grandstand, which is routinely packed to the rafters and bustling with energy.

While customers are extremely well-catered for, the same can be said of the competitors, and Shelbourne Park’s unwavering commitment to animal welfare means that canine wellbeing at the stadium is second to none.

Key events at Shelbourne Park

The annual racing calendar at Shelbourne Park is packed with prestigious events every year and those high-profile races tend to attract some of the biggest names and keenest competitors in the sport. From high-stakes meetings to thrilling festivals, Shelbourne Park is rarely dormant and some of the venue’s key events include the following.

Irish Greyhound Derby

Widely regarded as one of the showpiece events in greyhound racing, the Irish Greyhound Derby draws interest and entrants of the highest calibre. With a prize purse of €300,000 up for grabs, the event runs across three months (July to September) and features a series of preliminary stages before the main event at Shelbourne Park, where the crème de la crème compete for glory. The 2023 winner, The Other Kobe, pocketed €125,000 of that total prize purse for owner Jennifer O’Donnell.

Shelbourne Park Easter Cup

First launched in 1928, the Easter Cup is an annual event held during the Easter holiday, and each year it showcases some of the best and brightest greyhounds that the sport has to offer. The 2024 winner, Clonbrien Treaty, won top honours at the Easter Cup for trainer Graham Holland.

The Oaks

The Oaks is another greyhound racing event, and the esteemed race features the best female greyhounds in the business in a catalogue of exciting events. A purse of €25,000 is on offer for the winning runner, and in 2023 Crafty Shivoo won the bag for trainers Peter and Brian Divilly.

Champion Stakes

Inaugurated in 1979 and held in mid-summer each year, the Champion Stakes is one of the great occasions in Irish greyhound racing, and the competition’s final night tends to draw a huge crowd at Shelbourne Park. A purse of €20,000 goes to the winner, and the Champion Stake was won by Peter Cronin’s Trinity Junior in 2023.

The Gold Cup

Held in February each year, The Gold Cup is another distinguished greyhound racing event held at Shelbourne Park, with a top prize of €16,000 up for grabs for the best canine athlete. This year, Boylesports Coco claimed the honours and rewards for trainer Dolores Ruth.

Juvenile Derby

Also known as the Puppy Derby, the Juvenile Derby is a yearly race famed for providing a platform for the sport’s best up-and-comers. With entrants restricted to puppies only, the race gives spectators a chance to witness the first strides of greyhound racing’s next big stars. In 2023, Droopys Flytline carried the favourites tag to victory for trainer Robert G. Gleeson.

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