The Irish Greyhound Board has signed a second long term partnership of the summer, bringing Tour operator Dublin Coach on board as sponsor of the Irish Puppy Derby at Harolds Cross.
The deal is for five years and is “very mush a partnership rather than just a sponsorship” according to Stadium Manager Philip Peake.
The company will also operate a free shuttle bus service from Dublin City Centre to Harold’s Cross on a Friday night and Shelbourne Park on a Saturday night. Â A similar service will operate between Limerick City Centre and Stadium on Saturday’s as well.
All three of these services will commence this weekend. Â They are part of a wider undertaking from Dublin Coach to promote Greyhound Racing as a great Irish experience to at present 1.5 million customers a year using the company’s services on bus routes around the country, through Quick Tours and Quick Park at Dublin airport which are also part of the group.
Added Value
“We are all about building added value and unique experiences for our customers and bringing them to a sport that we personally enjoy as owners of the business and which we believe has something very special to offer to people who may never have experienced the thrill of a night at the dogs,” said Dublin Coach CEO John O’Sullivan.
“Greyhound racing is part of the very fabric of our culture and and the subject of lively conversation across many settings.”
Dublin Coach and the Irish Greyhound Board will be working closely on a wide variety of promotions including free entry to tracks for customers and further connecting services across the country over the lifetime of the agreement.
Partnership
The announcement comes weeks after the start of another long term partnership with Boylesports for the sponsorship of the Irish Greyhound Derby. Â That is also a three year deal at minimum and involves different elements of partnership between the sport and the betting company.
To have secured two long term deals, and to have the support yesterday of Minister of State Tom Hayes whose Agriculture Department holds responsibility for the sport is a strong positive at a time when a recent Indecon report suggested that improvements were needed in the management of the sport.
Elaine Larkin joined the Board as CEO over the summer and these two deals are a fine way for here to be seen as having started in an industry that is of real importance within rural Ireland as an employer and a source of attracting foreign investment through breeding.
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