Greyhound racing in Ireland is a regulated industry and activity taking place in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. There are 17 stadiums operating in Ireland (two in Northern Ireland) of which nine are fully operated by RásaÃÂocht Con ÃÂireann / Greyhound Racing Ireland (formerly named Irish Greyhound Board IGB, Bord na gCon) with the remaining six owned and operated by private enterprise but licensed by GRI.
Greyhound racing as it is seen today evolved from a sport called coursing. In 1926 the oval form of racing arrived in Britain at Belle Vue Stadium in Manchester which resulted in the creation of hundreds of tracks all over the United Kingdom and Ireland in the following ten years.
Greyhound racing in Ireland takes place in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. However, any tracks in Northern Ireland have always been in a regulatory limbo due to the fact that they are licensed neither by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) nor Greyhound Racing Ireland (named Bord na gCon until 2020).
To confuse matters still further, the industry regards racing as either UK or Irish, the latter including Northern Ireland. Greyhound Racing Ireland provides all of the results from Northern Ireland. The vast majority of greyhounds running in the UK are bred in Ireland (95% in 2017).
A 2014 independent review of the Irish Greyhound Board criticised its governance, financial performance, and handling of animal welfare issues. The review also described the level of positive tests for banned substances in racing greyhounds as "unacceptable".
Attendance at greyhound race meetings in Ireland declined during this period; official figures showed a 1.4% fall in overall attendance in 2015, despite a reduction in the number of race meetings.
In March 2017, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed brought legislation aimed at strengthening regulation of the sector, including measures addressing doping and integrity issues.
In 2019, the Irish government enacted the Greyhound Racing Act 2019, which set out new legislation. This came about because the industry came under scrutiny regarding the welfare of greyhounds from multiple newspaper articles, which reported various stories primarily about the breeding of greyhounds and racing greyhounds after they retire from racing. The RásaÃÂocht Con ÃÂireann are now required to conduct a range of inspections under the Welfare of Greyhounds Act, including a traceability system.
Legislation and government policy in both the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom have historically classified greyhound racing as an industry rather than a sport. A 2010 briefing note for the Northern Ireland Assembly noted that none of the four UK sports councils recognise the activity as a sport, and the Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure at the time confirmed it received no sports funding for that reason.
In October 2024, during discussions regarding the 2025 State Budget, Minister of State for Sport Thomas Byrne clarified that greyhound racing is classified by the government as a "traditional industry" rather than a sport under the remit of Sport Ireland. During Dáil debates in November 2025, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon rejected calls to reclassify the sector as a sport, stating, "This is an industry... there is a reason I have responsibility for horse racing and greyhound racing. It is because it is an industry." This distinction ensures the sector is funded via the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine rather than through sports-specific grants.
For the 2026 budgetary year, the total allocation for the Horse and Greyhound Racing Fund was â¬99.1 million, of which â¬19.8 million was allocated to greyhound racing. Greyhound Racing Ireland had sought an additional â¬1.75 million in support to address rising welfare and rehoming costs, though funding levels remained unchanged from the previous year. Since the fund's inception in 2001, a total of approximately â¬1.8 billion has been paid to the horse and greyhound racing industries.
A government-commissioned report found that the industry is "very dependent" on state funding for prize money. Critics have argued that the sector is entirely dependent on state subsidies and have called for their withdrawal. A 2024 poll found that 70% of Irish voters oppose continued government funding of the industry.
There are many types of competitions in Ireland but the primary race is the Irish Greyhound Derby held at Shelbourne Park.
Greyhound Racing Ireland publishes an annual list of feature events.
This is any minor race staged at a track, with prize money varying widely. This kind of racing is the most common at the various stadia.
Greyhound racing in Ireland has a standard colour scheme (the same as in the UK).
A racing jacket worn by a reserve bears an additional letter 'R' shown prominently on each side.