I would like to extend season’s greetings to you all.
At Christmas our thoughts are of family and friends, those with whom we can share the festive celebrations and, more especially, those who are absent from the table. This year there are more empty seats than before as many of our friends are abroad in search of work. To all who have lost their jobs and income due to the recession, a special mention.
The economic climate has taken its toll on all walks of life and the greyhound industry is no exception, with the reduction of government funding and disposable income leading to the same uncertainty that other sectors are experiencing.
Greyhound people are a resilient lot and I am confident we can survive and prosper even more in the years ahead. The officers of the Irish Coursing Club are working continuously to minimise the effect of this downturn on the club and as long as we are united in purpose and action, the future is bright.
On the coursing front the season so far has been an outstanding success with the standard of sport reaching an all-time high. This can be attributed to the extra emphasis being placed on hare husbandry and the promotion of this by our new CEO/Secretary DJ Histon.
Clubs are almost competing for the honour of producing the best hares and it has given me a great sense of satisfaction to witness the exceptional results at all the meetings I have attended as ICC President. Even during the terrible conditions of the flood-inducing rain in November the standard was maintained. Congratulations to all concerned.
I believe the standard of qualifiers for the National Meeting to be above average with a number of talking dogs already qualified for both classics. This should generate great anticipation in the weeks leading up to our showpiece and it is hoped that you will attend in numbers to ensure its continued success.
I would like to wish one and all a Happy and Holy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Brian Divilly, President, ICC
At Christmas our thoughts are of family and friends, those with whom we can share the festive celebrations and, more especially, those who are absent from the table. This year there are more empty seats than before as many of our friends are abroad in search of work. To all who have lost their jobs and income due to the recession, a special mention.
The economic climate has taken its toll on all walks of life and the greyhound industry is no exception, with the reduction of government funding and disposable income leading to the same uncertainty that other sectors are experiencing.
Greyhound people are a resilient lot and I am confident we can survive and prosper even more in the years ahead. The officers of the Irish Coursing Club are working continuously to minimise the effect of this downturn on the club and as long as we are united in purpose and action, the future is bright.
On the coursing front the season so far has been an outstanding success with the standard of sport reaching an all-time high. This can be attributed to the extra emphasis being placed on hare husbandry and the promotion of this by our new CEO/Secretary DJ Histon.
Clubs are almost competing for the honour of producing the best hares and it has given me a great sense of satisfaction to witness the exceptional results at all the meetings I have attended as ICC President. Even during the terrible conditions of the flood-inducing rain in November the standard was maintained. Congratulations to all concerned.
I believe the standard of qualifiers for the National Meeting to be above average with a number of talking dogs already qualified for both classics. This should generate great anticipation in the weeks leading up to our showpiece and it is hoped that you will attend in numbers to ensure its continued success.
I would like to wish one and all a Happy and Holy Christmas and a peaceful and prosperous New Year.
Brian Divilly, President, ICC
