Thurles Racecourse closes with immediate effect

LAST UPDATE | 21 hrs ago

THURLES RACECOURSE HAS closed with immediate effect and fixtures which had been scheduled for later in the year will not go ahead.

The first ever recorded race-meeting at Thurles took place in 1732 and it has been in the hands of the Molony family since the early 1900s.

Riona Molony announced the closure in a statement this morning.

She thanked the “extended racecourse family”, such as staff, sponsors, the racing community, local businesses, and racegoers for their support.

“It has been an honour and a privilege for our family to have run Thurles Racecourse, and I am officially announcing our retirement today,” said Riona Molony.

She said she is “very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing” and remarked that “horse-racing is part of the fabric of our family”.

“My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators,” she added.

Her late husband Pierce Molony, who died in 2015, took over the running of the Co Tipperary racecourse from his father Dr Paddy Molony in 1974.

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“Since my beloved husband Pierce passed away, with the help of our four daughters Patricia, Helen, Ann Marie and Kate and our wonderful staff, we’ve managed to keep the show on the road and I know he would be very proud of us for that,” said Riona.

She added: “The girls all have their own families, careers and lives to live.

“Ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business has also been a major factor.”

Thurles Racecourse is fully licenced to race until 31 December and has 11 prominent fixtures scheduled for the 2025/26 racing calendar.

However, these meetings will not go ahead.

Riona added: “We’re going to enjoy this time together and relax now the decision is made and the news is out before we consider our options.”

‘Surprise to everyone in the industry’

The CEO of Horse Racing Ireland, Suzanne Eade, described Thurles Racecourse as a “cornerstone of the National Hunt programme in Ireland during the winter months”.

She said today’s announcement “was a surprise to everyone in the industry”.

However, she added that the announcement must have been a “hugely difficult one” and that she “respects their decision to take a step back from running racing at Thurles”.

Eade remarked that Pierce Molony “contributed significantly to the Irish racing industry for many years and the Molony family, led by Riona, certainly stepped up following his untimely passing”

The Horse Racing Ireland CEO added that she will be seeking a meeting with the Molony family in the near future to discuss their position.

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