Terrier Racing Was Big Business In Balbriggan
The following is taken from The Fingal Independent Article by Hubert Murphy in 2008 and supplied to B.net by Vincent Donnelly.
Some of the biggest bookmakers in the country and champion greyhound trainers can thank the once famed sport of terrier racing for sparking their success.
And what's more, they cut their teeth at a track at the rear of Balbriggan church which is now home to Hyde Park FC.
This week, the son of the man who came up with the idea, the late Christo Keeling, explains how the whole thing began.
'It started off in the mid 60s and blossomed for a few years after that,' stated John Keeling .
Christo Keeling had watched terrier racing at the Lourdes Stadium in Drogheda and felt it would be a great sport to introduce to Balbriggan. Along with lifelong pal Richard Hurley and interested work colleagues from Wavin, they turned their dream into reality in the summer of 1965. A committee was formed that included Christo, Richard, Paddy 'Mackie' McMahon, Franco Guildea, Teddy Guildea and Tosh Murphy. The plan was put into action. Dick Byrne from Drogheda St was engaged to fabricate the starting trap (something like a greyhound trap), and the venue was secured, Joe Keeling's land between St Peter and Paul's Church and Curran Park. Every Saturday night dogs of all discriptions would arrive, Jack Russell to greyhound, and each were timed and graded for the races so that all would have a chance of winning a race.
The races would attract hundreds of spectators and up to seven bookies each week during the summer. Many fans would be brought from Red Island where the English visitors loved the night's entertainment.
When the races concluded, the trap was carried off to Vincent Donnelly's back garden on Dublin Street for storage until the following week. There was a good deal of preparation needed, Richard Hurley and Dick Byrne usually on the gate, Franco Guildea, Teddy Guildea and Tosh Murphy acting as judges, Paddy McMahon (trapper) and Christo Keeling (hare driver).
Young John Keeling would earn 10 shillings every race night unwinding the catgut line at the start of every race to drag the hare from the finish to the starting box. It worked with a motorbike wheel which was wound up at speed to take the hare to the finish ahead of the dogs. The track was straight and 250 yards long. 9They called it the poor man's greyhound racing. People didn't have the money to go to Shelbourne Park so this was very popular. Young bookies came to launch tiieir career, Seamus Mulvanny is now one of the top ones in the country and a young Maxie Collins was also seen in Balbriggan,' John Keeling revealed.
The likes of top greyhound trainers such as Dessie 'skip' Gilbert and Syl Halligan started off in Balbriggan's terrier scene too.
'Greyhound racing was introduced at one stage too but the terriers were the most memorable. These dogs were family pets during the week and racers at the weekend,1 he added.
Race winners would get prize-money and a tin of 'Spot' dog food.
After Balbriggan, further tracks opened at Beamore in Drogheda, Skerries, Loughshinny, Naul and at Hayestown, the only track with a bend.
Richard Hurley, now resident in Loughshinny, explained that six dogs would be involved in each race and it was very competitive with some fine dogs being produced. He actually bred terriers for speed with Christo.
Paddy Doolin from Delahasey was one of the best greyhound men around while Christo Keeling's Black Rory and Gonny Gosson's Russian Gun were well renowned winners. Eamon Grogan's Boston Girl was a winner of the Red Island Cup at Loughshinny while Jack Larkin's KO Sox was another good one.
'Loughshinny was another great spot for racing with John Cloonan, Stevie Ryan and Dessie and Paddy McGirl deeply involved,' Richard revealed. The track was beside the present Loughshinny soccer pitch. The racing season ran for the summer months and ended in 1968. However, it was controversial at times with the odd bashing from the pulpit in the nearby church. 'There was betting, although five pounds was the maximum bet, but some in the local clergy totally disapproved of it,' John remarked.
There were some remarkable races and dogs throughout the history of terrier racing locally, with John recalling one very funny incident. 'There was a race with a bitch terrier in season and when the traps went up, the dogs forgot about the hare and all the dogs ran off the track, through the crowd and under a fence and away!'