Kilcohan Park Explained

Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium
Location:Old Tramore Road, Waterford, Ireland
Coordinates:52.2431°N -7.1121°W
Operator:Greyhound Racing Ireland
Opened:2 Nov 1930 (for football)
26 Dec 1934 (for unlicensed racing)
May 1947 (for licensed racing)
Racetype:greyhound racing
Website:https://www.grireland.ie/go-greyhound-racing/our-stadiums/kilcohan-park-greyhound-stadium/

Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track and former soccer stadium located in the south of Waterford, Ireland.[1]

Operations

Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday evening. Race distances are 325, 525, 550, 575 and 731 yards [2] and the feature event at the track is the Gain Feeds Select Stakes.[3]

The main event held at the track is the Gain Feeds Select Stakes which for many years was known as the Waterford Glass Stakes.

Facilities include a restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars and totalisator betting. [4]

The stadium is near Waterford city, and has a large customer car park.[5]

History

Originally built as a Soccer stadium for Waterford Football Club, opening on 2 November 1930[6] and unlicensed greyhound racing. It was owned by Mr J.McGrath and agreement was reached with Mr J.Mulhall, the president of the Irish Coursing Club (ICC) for the track to be run by them and under ICC rules in 1947. It staged its first meeting during May 1947 under ICC rules and is one of the Ireland's smallest provincial tracks but still has a circumference of 460 yards.[7]

In September 1978 a new restaurant was built by the owners the Waterford Greyhound Racing Company and overseen by Racing Manager Paddy Grant. The track managed to survive despite the large scale redundancies at the nearby Waterford Glass works in the late eighties. Waterford United Football Club remained at the stadium until 1993 and European Cup matches were held at this venue before the club moved grounds.[8]

Greyhound Racing Ireland took over the venue and invested in improvements in 2002, with a major facelift throughout the stadium and on the track. In 2006 a €3.5m extension featuring a new 180-seated restaurant and bar bringing the facilities up to a very high standard.[9]

In December 2023, the stadium renewed the contract agreement (as part of the GRI) with S.I.S for 2024.[10]

Competitions

Track records

Current[11]

width=100Yardswidth=200Greyhoundwidth=50Timewidth=200Datewidth=200Notes
300 Montos Mark[12] 15.914 November 2006
325 Gingko17.193 May 2008
500 Ardfert Billy 26.9528 May 2005
525 Droopys Curio [13] 27.945 September 2020Munster Oaks Semi-Final
550 Ardfert Billy 29.2022 October 2005
575 Jeffys Crystal30.801 November 2008
730 Jemmy Doodlebeag39.9822 November 2008
790 Making Merry 43.2025 August 2001
815 Group Skater 45.5127 December 2008
815 Compass Cowboy=45.514 April 2009
525 hurdles Secondrate Champ28.672 April 2005
Former[14] [15] [16]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Greyhound Track. Tramore Tourism.
  2. Web site: Waterford (Kilcohan Park). Greyhound Data.
  3. Web site: Feature Events. Greyhound Racing Ireland.
  4. Web site: Kilcohan Park. Greyhound Racing Ireland.
  5. Web site: Thurles Greyhound Stadium. Greyhound Racing Ireland.
  6. Waterford Standard Saturday 1 November 1930 page 3
  7. Book: Genders, Roy. The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. 1981. Pelham Books Ltd. 07207-1106-1.
  8. Book: Barnes, Julia. Daily Mirror Greyhound Fact File. 1988. Ringpress Books. 0-948955-15-5.
  9. Web site: Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium, Waterford. Tom O'Brien Construction.
  10. Web site: SIS GRA 2024 Agreement . Greyhound Racing Ireland . 9 December 2023.
  11. Web site: Irish Track Records as of January 2024 . Greyhound Star . 14 February 2024.
  12. Web site: Gain Puppy & Sapling Open 300. Greyhound Racing Ireland .
  13. Web site: Dave Collins Memorial Munster Oaks Semi-Final . Greyhound Racing Ireland.
  14. Web site: Track records. Greyhound Data.
  15. Web site: Track records. Greyhound Star.
  16. Web site: Newbridge Track records. Greyhound Star.