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THE Irish Greyhound Board has withdrawn its sponsorship of the Rose Of Tralee Festival.
In a statement today, the Irish Greyhound Board (IGB) said they took the decision after consultation with the Festival organisers.
The move comes after what the IGB called “malicious online threats” against Rose of Tralee ambassadors, including the Roses.
There has been widespread criticism of the IGB following an RTE programme aired some weeks ago which exposed the mistreatment and culling of dogs in the industry.
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The statement from the IGB today reads; “Many festival ambassadors, including the Roses themselves, have been the subject of malicious online threats in recent weeks which the Rose Of Tralee Festival and the IGB find totally unacceptable.”
“The long standing partnership between both the festival and IGB has been positive for the area with both organisations playing significant roles in the community and the local economy and both parties involved with many charitable organisations throughout the country.
“The IGB respects the right to protest but this must be done in a peaceful manner, including in online and on social media. Kingdom Greyhound Stadium will continue to support local businesses and charities throughout Kerry and are very proud of this tradition.
“The IGB and Kingdom Greyhound Stadium regret this decision and wish the Rose of Tralee and all associated with the event the very best of luck with this year’s festival.”
The Roses were annual visitors to the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium during the Festival and the Kerry Rose contestants also had a night out there in the run-up to their selection.
Barry’s Tea and FBD Insurance have already withdrawn their sponsorship for the IGB following the RTE programme.
A number of peaceful protests have taken place outside the Kingdom Greyhound Stadium in recent months about cruelty in the industry.
