NOT YOUR AVERAGE TUESDAY AS SHELBOURNE JAMMED TO RAFTERS

Ian Fortune

Tuesday night action returned to Shelbourne Park with a real bang as 4000 students descended on Ringsend for a memorable night that provided an atmosphere scarcely matched in the sport.

Yes, Derby final night is every bit as loud and more knowledgeable but it was truly refreshing to hear such noise at the home of greyhound racing.

There was a real party atmosphere about proceedings. As this scribe arrived in the door before 7pm, over half an hour before racing, the students were already flocking in, met by Brenda Powderly, Paul Smith and their wonderful retired greyhounds.

They were certainly the most popular attraction ahead of racing and continued to get much attention during their stay. It was wonderful to see so many young people engaging with the dogs, who were typically at their most charming.

Even the DJ, who was adding a soundtrack to proceedings ahead of racing didn’t upset Charlie, Sox and Brandy. Once racing got underway, with the DJ stopping four minutes before each race, those present really did get into it.

The stands were packed to capacity while there was standing room only underneath the stands with the bars doing brisk trade throughout. The layers also reported themselves to be very busy. Yvonne Barry was certainly in buoyant form after racing, suggesting it was a great night.

Of course, the fact that Yvonne and her brother Tommy were able to lay debit cards bets with a tap function aided their cause but both Bernard Barry and Ted Hegarty also reported that they were very busy throughout the night. 

From the very first race, the students embraced the action. The noise for the opening race was incredible but it got louder and louder as the night went on. As soon as racing ended, karaoke stared in the upstairs bar, while soon after a band were playing on the ground floor.

It was a manic, loud and thoroughly enjoyable evening. The large majority of the students had a great night and while many will be nursing a hangover this morning, I’m certain that many will be back in the future.

Given the success of the evening, it is surely only a matter of time before there are more students nights in the offing both at Shelbourne Park and other suitable tracks throughout the country. I for one will welcome it.

A huge congratulations to all involved in the organization of the event and to all the staff on duty on Tuesday night. It all went very smoothly and will no doubt encourage the event organisers to pursue further nights at the dogs.

For a taster of the atmosphere of the night why not venture onto Shelbourne Park’s Twitter feed where there are any videos: https://twitter.com/shelbournepark?s=20&t=xtxPgjj-gEZoBb-den8b3w