Irish Government

There will be an attendance cap of just 1,000 spectators per day for the Galway Summer Festival. The week-long fixture features the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle. Galway Racecourse had submitted a proposal of 5,000 fans a day through the turnstiles, but that was rejected by the Irish Government. Instead, the festival will have the same limit on spectators as the Irish Derby meeting at The Curragh earlier this summer. Ireland is still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We got news last night that we will be able...

The first hearing of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in front of a Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine began in Ireland on Thursday, with the IHRB defending itself rigorously. The IHRB has come under pressure recently regarding concerns over doping in Irish racing following Irish trainer Jim Bolger's claims in a newspaper interview that there would be a "Lance Armstrong" moment in the Irish industry. Irish Government committee members asked questions of Horse Racing Ireland's Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh, IHRB Chief Executive Denis Egan and IHRB Chief...

Irish racing will continue behind closed doors despite coronavirus restrictions being maintained, the Irish Government announced on Wednesday. Only professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events are permitted to continue in this fashion, with no other matches or events allowed at this time. Racing in Ireland resumed on June 8, but owners have only been allowed briefly in September. The ban on UK travel continues until midnight on Friday, Jan. 8, and beginning on Jan. 9, all passengers coming from the UK will be required to...

The Irish Government's Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has released updated advice for horse movement through Great Britain beginning on New Year's Day, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Thursday. The new guidelines are intended for those transporting horses and the Trader Notice, which outlines procedures for export certification to Britain from Jan. 1, as well as information on movements to and from France and Northern Ireland, may be accessed here. The new guidelines are summarized as follows for each equine exporter from Ireland to Great Britain: Register with DAFM....

Following the news that the Irish Government has banned UK travel, no Irish-trained horses or Irish jockeys will compete in the UK through Dec. 31, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. The travel ban will expire on New Year's Eve. In addition, declarations for UK-trained horses to race in Ireland will not be accepted during that time frame. "The concern from Government is very clear: these are exceptional times and a travel ban with the UK is a once-in-a-generation occurrence," said Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh. "Irish racing...