Ring road under racecourse would cost Galway €60m for two years

The Galway Races flagship summer festival, worth €60 million annually to the local economy, could be lost for at least two years, as the track is closed to build the proposed new city bypass.

General Manager of the famous Ballybrit racecourse, John Moloney has issued a strong warning that the Galway Races Festival itself – and its reputation – could be irreparably damaged if plans to build a ring road through it succeed.

His shock warning comes as residents groups on both sides of the city, who fear the impact of one or other of the proposed routes, are galvanising themselves for a long battle.

All of the proposed new routes for the bypass will impact on the famous Ballybrit track. One proposed route goes right through the racecourse, cutting into the actual track twice, to make way for an underground tunnel. Stables will have to be knocked and car parking spaces eliminated to make way for two other routes. And on another proposed route the main entrance to the track is completely severed and blocked off.

Mr Moloney told the Connacht Tribune that the Galway Races will not go ahead for at least two years – at best – if the bypass goes ahead along the new routes currently being considered.

“All of the routes will cause chaos. It is something that would be catastrophic to us,” cautioned Mr Moloney.

The racing days would be re-allocated by Horse Racing Ireland to other racecourses for the two years minimum Ballybrit is closed and so the implications of a two-year hiatus in racing in Galway are far-reaching.

“You would get the racing days back again. But for us to try and start to rebuild something that people haven’t been at for two years or more would be a mammoth task. This has massive implications.”

Mr Moloney said it would have a knock-on effect on contracts with major sponsors, and television contracts, which would be breached.

He pointed out that based on independent research, the Races is worth €60 million annually to the local economy, and the city and county stands to lose at least €120 million as a direct result of disruption at the track.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune.