Well-known bookie to shut seven shops

A major restructuring by the city’s best known bookmakers will result in them downsizing by more than half.

Five of Mulholland Bookmakers are expected to fall into the hands of Paddy Power while the Salthill shop has been taken over by Boyle Sports.

Another at Cross Street has closed – understood to have been purchased by the owner of the adjoining Front Door pub

But a spokesman for Mulholland said that they would be retaining seven of their outlets.

“At the moment, we are in the process of restructuring and the Competitions Authority has approved the sale of a number of our outlets,” a spokesman for the company told the Galway City Tribune.

Outlets in Oranmore, Mervue, The Huntsman, Dominick Street and Newcastle Road will change to Paddy Powers.

The Salthill shop has already been rebranded as Boyle Sports and the Mulhollands – brothers Alan and Eddie – will continue to operate the remaining seven outlets in both Galway and Mayo.

The Paddy Power chain is openly on the lookout for more outlets in cities and major towns across the country, in ongoing expansion moves. Last May, the chain was refused permission for a new shop on Seamus Quirke Road in a unit formerly occupied by Bar One Racing.

It is expected that Mulhollands will make a full statement on their future intentions in the very near future.

“At the moment, it is business as usual,” the spokesperson added.

For more on this story, see this week’s Galway City Tribune