Thurles Racecourse

Thurles Racecourse will continue to operate through March 2027, following discussions between Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and Thurles Racing Company. The first meeting of next season is scheduled for October. Last August, it was announced the course was to close with immediate effect after the Molony family, who had owned the track since the early 1900s, decided to retire from racing. After a public outcry championed by Willie Mullins among others, an agreement was reached to continue for another year. Riona Molony said, "We are pleased to continue this short-term...

Thurles Racecourse, which had been due to close this month after owners the Molony family decided to retire from racing, will continue operating until at least March of 2026. There was a productive meeting between the Molony family and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) on Thursday. The only privately owned racecourse in Ireland, Thurles had 11 scheduled fixtures for the 2025/2026 season. A joint-statement from HRI and the Molony family read, "Following a positive meeting this afternoon between Horse Racing Ireland and the Molony family, Thurles Race Company will facilitate the...

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...