An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders has decided by a majority vote to sell Tralee racecourse to local developers. Anne Luceyreports.
The proposal to make a decision on an option agreement to sell to the Séamus O'Halloran and John Casey consortium of developers to construct a leisure facility came from the race company directors. It received 80 per cent support at a meeting in Tralee on Thursday.
Yesterday in a statement the directors of Ballybeggan Park Race Co said they had sought independent advice and the decision had been "very difficult".
"However, the company recognised that racing at Ballybeggan Park was no longer economically viable, or sustainable going forward, due to considerable continuing financial losses.
"Over the past five years, the directors of the company have explored, and exhausted, many options with the view of retaining and developing racing at Ballybeggan Park," it said.
The plan for a leisure facility was attractive to shareholders, as this would enhance the social, sporting and cultural life of Tralee.
The directors and shareholders thanked sincerely their "valued sponsors, employees, owners and trainers, the Race Goers Club, all other friends and supporters, and of course, every patron of Ballybeggan Park since 1944".
Racing at Ballybeggan has taken place for 60 years. Four years ago when a proposal to end racing and have the land rezoned was first mooted, there was an outcry in Tralee and several public meetings were held.
The annual Rose of Tralee racing festival was felt to have been highly successful this year, despite a shaky start due to a hoax bomb scare which saw racing on the opening day put back by about two hours.
The decision to sell has taken Tralee by surprise. Yesterday, long-time town councillor Johnny Wall said he was very disappointed. "It was part of our history here in Tralee. It was not owned by us, but we still regarded it as public," he said.
Racing, which had a 250-year history in Tralee would now come to an end altogether, he added.
The potential for developing the track for coursing as well as horseracing had not been fully explored, Cllr Wall felt.