Curraheen Park

Curraheen Park

Location	Curraheen Road, Bishopstown, County Cork, Ireland
Coordinates	51.87614°N 8.54986°W / 51.87614; -8.54986
Operated by	Greyhound Racing Ireland
Date opened	2000
Race type	greyhound racing
Official website

Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium is a greyhound racing track located in Bishopstown, west of Cork, County Cork, Ireland.[1]

Racing takes place every Friday and Saturday evening and the facilities include the grandstand Laurels restaurant, fast food facilities, a number of bars, totalisator betting and ample seating. [2]

Race distances are 330, 525, 550, 575, and 750 yards and the feature competitions at the track is the Laurels.[3]

History

Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium is situated to the west of Cork on the Curraheen Road in Bishopstown. The track opened in the year 2000 as a replacement for the previous track the Cork (Western Road) Greyhound Stadium which is now the Western Gateway Building (science building of the University College Cork). The stadium is a third generation Cork Greyhound Stadium with the first two being the Show Grounds Greyhound Track (1928-1935) and then the previously mentioned Western Road stadium (1936-1996). [4]

The sale of the old track enabled the Bord na gCon to fund a new stadium with modern facilities).[5] The new stadium opened on 8 April 2000 costing IR£8.5 million and included a glass fronted grandstand as the centrepiece (the glass alone cost IR£400,000). The official opening date was 20 May 2000.[6] The new track offered race distances of 330, 525, 550, 575 and 700 yards and the long serving Noel Holland remained as the Racing Manager but would retire in 2004. The Laurels remains the primary competition held at the track and since 2000 winners have included Sonic Flight, Ardkill Jamie and Razldazl Rioga.

Following the closure of Harolds Cross in 2017 the Grand National was brought to the track.[7]

Competitions

• Laurels
• Grand National

Current track records

[8]

Yards	Greyhound	Time	Date	Notes
330	Quietly[9]	17.14	12 March 2016
525	Illnotbeback[10]	27.81	5 November 2022
550	Killmacdonagh[11]	29.07	29 June 2019	The Shelley Fennely Memorial Final
575	Nikita Billie[12]	30.62	12 July 2003
750	Airmount Tess[13]	41.02	03 June 2017	Barry's Tea Open Stake Semi-Final
810	Shelbourne Kay[14]	45.58	11 June 2005
810	Slick Season[15]	45.58	18 March 2011
525 H	Comeout Russell[16]	28.59	11 July 2015

Former track records

Extended content

[17] Yards Greyhound Time Date Notes 330 Quarrymount Rory 17.47 20 September 2000 330 Kilboy Oak 17.44 13 March 2004 330 Paulo Coelho 17.40 17 March 2004 330 Leeview Dave 17.34 13 October 2012 525 Moyne Rebel 28.25 7 October 2000 525 Rutland Budgie 28.25 25 October 2001 525 Larkhill River 28.21 28 September 2002 525 Coolmona Dave 28.14 14 June 2003 525 Fat Budgie 28.08 15 May 2004 525 Ardkill Jamie 28.03 23 September 2006 525 Droopys Robinho 28.03 29 September 2007 525 Ballymac Vic 27.94 29 September 2012 525 Curious Boy[18] 27.85 25 June 2016 Laurels heats 525 Droopys Edison[19] 27.83 25 October 2022 Laurels 2nd round 550 Owenabue River 29.90 2 August 2001 550 Longvalley Tina 29.84 26 February 2002 550 Confident Choice 29.74 24 October 2002 550 Minglers Prime 29.66 23 November 2002 550 Make All 29.46 20 March 2004 550 Goldstar Lee 29.42 21 October 2006 550 Ghost Town[20] 29.36 28 June 2014 550 Velvet John Joe 29.32 22 July 2017 550 Killmacdonagh[21] 29.15 22 June 2019 700 Drifting Tide 38.80 4 August 2001 700 Hello Bud 38.74 24 November 2001 700 Blue Boomer 38.61 18 May 2002 750 Air Force Honcho 41.53 30 October 2003 750 Kilquane Lass 41.51 22 November 2003 750 Guess Whos Comin 41.41 20 November 2004 750 Heart Rumble 41.30 13 May 2006 750 Woe Katie 41.22 31 May 2014 750 Woe Katie 41.19 14 June 2014 750 Fire Height Amy 41.14 6 June 2015 525 H Hilldun Pat 30.31 17 August 2002 525 H Top Lark 29.50 30 October 2004 525 H Top Lark 29.18 29 October 2005 525 H Bay Star 28.99 21 October 2006 525 H Kiel Razzle 28.84 20 June 2014 525 H Shouragh Matty 28.78 28 June 2014 550 H Lenson Returns 31.16 14 September 2000

References

1. "Curraheen Park Greyhound Stadium". East Cork tourism. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
2. "Curraheen Park". Irish Greyhound Board.
3. "Cork (Curraheen Park)". Greyhound Data.
4. Genders, Roy (1981). The Encyclopedia of Greyhound Racing. Pelham Books Ltd. ISBN 07207-1106-1.
5. Hobbs, Jonathan (2007). Greyhound Annual 2008. Raceform. ISBN 978-1-905153-53-4.
6. "Judy makes it a joyful night for Tarbert owner". Kerryman. 31 March 2000. Retrieved 24 January 2025 – via British Newspaper Archive.
7. "GRI confirms closure of Harolds Cross Greyhound Stadium". GRI. Archived from the original on 10 March 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2017.
8. "Cork Track records". Greyhound Star. 7 January 2019.
9. "Greyhound & Petworld Supersprint Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
10. "The Broadstrand Bono @ Stud Open". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
11. "The Shelley Fennely Memorial 550 Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
12. "The Cashman 575". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
13. "Barry's Tea Open 750 Stake Semi-Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
14. "THE CASHMANS BOOKMAKERS OPEN 810". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
15. "Liam O Sullivan Collick Plant Ltd 810". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
16. "The Rockybay Munster Hurdle Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
17. "Former track records". Greyhound Data.
18. "The 2016 Irish Independent Laurels Round 2 Heat 6". Greyhound Racing Ireland.
19. "The 2022 Irish Greyhound Laurels Round 2 Heat 8". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
20. "The 4 Star Castle Hotel Macroom Stakes". Greyhound Racing Ireland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
21. "The Shelley Fennely Memorial 550 Semi-Final". Greyhound Racing Ireland.