Clonmel in early February continues to prove amagnet for coursing visitors
The recession hasn't bitten too deeply into Clonmel's National Coursing Meeting, if the evidence of early this week was any indicator.
The attendance on Monday was about average for the opening day of the three-day meeting, which continued until the finals were held yesterday, Wednesday afternoon, as Clonmel and Powerstown Park retained their status as the mecca for coursing and dog racing fans in the first week of February.
Those visitors flocked to the town from all corners of Ireland and overseas, as they watched the dogs and bitches battle it out for a total prize fund that comes in at a hefty €200,000, including trophies, at the 85th annual meeting.
Brian Purcell from Ballyduff, North Kerry, said that he comes to Clonmel every single year. "I never miss it. It's the annual holiday. If I never took a holiday I wouldn't miss the three days in Clonmel."
Neither has the current economic climate affected Brian's trip to Clonmel. "It doesn't make a difference, you always make allowances for Clonmel. I was raised with greyhounds, I've been walking dogs since I was 5 years of age. For me it (the meeting) seems to be growing year after year. It's an amazing festival".
Brian had a couple of dogs running in Clonmel in the past but not this year.
He and his friends religiously follow the same well-worn path each time. "We always start on Sunday night in Chawke's, then we progress onto Mulcahy's for a steak and it's onto Hearn's Hotel after that for the rest of the night."
They stay at Pauline O'Gorman's guesthouse on the Quay and admitted that they didn't return there until the early hours on Monday morning!
"There was a big crowd around and we kept going. We didn't leave ye down, we always leave a few bob in Clonmel!"
The festival is also a magnet for British visitors and John Gilson from March in Cambridgeshire has visited the meeting for the last 15 years. "I enjoy the week as much as the coursing. You meet a lot of old friends and it's really good.
John owns track dogs and one of the reserves in the Boylesports.com Derby was trained by the trainer of his dogs.
He was pleased that the weather on the first day was kinder than the corresponding day in 2009, when it snowed. "It's a bit fresh but it's a lovely day", he said.
Two other English visitors were Jim Roberts from Essex and Tony Bullen from Walthamstow in east London.
They have been regulars at the meeting for the last 25 years - "it's our annual pilgrimage. We stay with friends in Golden and it's the best digs in town!”
They haven't any qualifiers this time and so missed the “good thrill” that brought, but nonetheless were looking forward to the week.
Assessing the prospects before the start of coursing, Jim and Tony said they backed the favourite, Newinn All In in the Hotel Minella Oaks (“a friend of ours has a share in her”), but were obviously surprised and disappointed when she was beaten in the first round.
They fancied Caesar Music in the Derby but added, “six times up this hill (to win the event) is a big ask”.
Coursing started a half an hour late, after the covers were removed. Those covers protected the course from the overnight frost that the Ladies International Open Coursing meeting at Clerihan – the traditional curtain-raiser to the week - had fallen victim to on Sunday morning.
Once coursing got underway there was a surprise when Newinn All In, the favourite for the Hotel Minella Oaks, was beaten by Needham Time, owned by Brendan Keogh in Kent, in a close buckle in the first round. It was a result that had one bookmaker waving his hat in the air in delight at the departure of the heavily-backed bitch, which is owned by the New Inn Lemon Syndicate.
In the first round of the Boylesports.com Derby Adios Alonso, owned by the Holian-Maher-O’Sullivan Syndicate in Clonmel, beat Tory Hill Blonde; Caesar Music, owned by the Patsy and the Boys Syndicate in Cashel, beat Lisloose Eoin; and Kildonogue Billy, owned by the Gormanstown Syndicate in Ardfinnan, got the better of A Noble One.
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Weather for Clonmel
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 11 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South
