Shock As Thurles Racecourse Closes Its Doors With Immediate Effect

[Wandering Eyes]

Thurles, Ireland's only privately-owned racecourse, is to close with immediate effect.

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

The late Pierce Molony took over the running of Thurles from his father Doctor Paddy Molony in 1974, but Pierce's widow Riona released a statement confirming the family's decision to retire from racing.

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

“We are very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing and we are most grateful to our extended racecourse family, our dedicated staff, generous sponsors, loyal patrons and the wider racing community for all your support.

“Horse racing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years. My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators.”

Although Thurles is fully licenced to race until December 31 and is scheduled to stage 11 fixtures in the 2025/26 Irish racing calendar, the Molony family have no plans to continue racing.

Riona Molony added, “Since my beloved husband Pierce passed away in 2015, 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.

“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.

“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.”

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