Call for review of council funding to Leopardstown Christmas racing festival

Funding by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to the Leopardstown horse racing festival at Christmas should be reviewed, a local councillor has said. The council made a payment of €30,000 towards the four-day horse racing festival this year. In 2013, the year of the Gathering, it gave the festival €50,000.

More than 58,000 people attended the racing festival, which began on St Stephen’s Day, on the south side of Dublin this year. More than €1.7 million was taken at the Tote, while bookmakers took €3.4 million.

The race course also received financial support from other State bodies, including Fáilte Ireland and Dublin City Council, through the New Year Festival, the Irish National Stud and Irish Thoroughbred Marketing.

In response to a question by councillor Victor Boyhan (Ind), the council said the money was paid as a method of promoting tourism in the area for the Gathering Christmas festival in 2013 and in accordance with the Local Government Act 2001 and Arts Act 2003. “The council also passed a resolution in February 2014 to approve payment of €30,000 towards the 2014 Christmas festival,” the response said.

Mr Boyhan said he was a great supporter of horsing racing and looked forward to attending Leopardstown events, but continuing to fund the race course should be reviewed. “It’s very hard to quantify the benefits or even justify this level of sponsorship – €30,000 would go a long way in helping local sports clubs with limited finances,” he added. “This is where I would like to see the council direct its financial supports in terms of sport development.”