The umbrella organization for greyhound racing in Ireland is the Irish Greyhound Board (Bord na gCon). This is a commercial semi-public organization headquartered in Limerick.
At the time of writing, there 17 dog racing tracks in Ireland that operate with a license from the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB). Out of these 17, nine are owned by the IGB.
IGB oversee the betting on all the 17 licensed dog racing tracks and they also charge a fee from the betting companies. IGB is responsible for issuing permits for betting companies, trainers and functionaries.
The income from fees is used in various ways, including:
- Adding money to the prize pot for races
- Improving and developing licensed race tracks in Ireland
- Marketing the Irish greyhound industry nationally and abroad
The IGB was created by the Greyhound Industry Act of 1956. This law gives the IGB the right to regulate various areas concerning greyhound racing in Ireland.
The Greyhound Rescue Association Ireland (GRAI)
If you want to adopt an Irish greyhound that has been retired from racing, contact the Greyhound Rescue Association Ireland (GRAI). GRAI rehabilitates retired greyhounds and works to find homes for them where they can live as pets when their racing career is over.