Iconic Irish racecourse Thurles announces permanent closure

Irish racing has been dealt a hammer blow with the surprising news that Thurles racecourse – the nation's only privately-owned track – has closed with immediate effect.

The course has been owned by the Molony family since the start of the 20th century and is a staple of the Irish jumps racing calendar.

Its current licence runs until the end of 2025 and 11 fixtures had been awarded to the Tipperary venue for the 25/26 National Hunt campaign.

However, those now appear ill-fated following the announcement on Friday morning.

A statement from Riona Molony on social media read: “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.

“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."

The closure is the first to occur in Ireland since Tralee shut its doors to the public all the way back in 2007.