Galway Racecourse has been approved to receive funding of €2.1-million from Horse Racing Ireland towards a €6-million redevelopment of its facilities.
The redevelopment will include the replacement of the Tote Ireland building with a two-storey, open-plan building with capacity for up to 550 patrons on the ground floor. There will be betting counters on three sides and a large betting shop on the fourth, in addition to 46 external Tote Ireland betting windows, most facing the racetrack. The new building will also include a champagne bar with capacity for 450 people.
The redevelopment will also see the improvement of the enclosure around the parade ring and bookmakers' ring. Construction is set to begin after the 2017 Galway Summer Festival.
“Galway Racecourse's new development will provide an attractive focal point in the enclosure and an improved level of comfort and shelter for racegoers,” said Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of HRI. “Removing the existing Tote building will reconfigure a traditionally congested area around the betting ring and parade ring, opening up pedestrian access and improving the enclosure layout. Galway's seven-day festival is our most popular festival and HRI is happy to provide grant aid for a project that will directly benefit racegoers who head West every year.”
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