Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake to give 24 more clubs the chance to win €10,000 prize

24 more Limerick clubs are to be given a chance to win €10,000 in the 2019 Con & Annie Kirby Memorial Stake at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.

The past six years of the competition have seen Limerick GAA clubs share in the event fund, with each of the 72 greyhounds in the event assigned to a GAA club. The winning greyhound’s assigned GAA club win a nominator prize of €10,000 and a free benefit night at Limerick Greyhound Stadium.

The Pat-Buckley trained Droopys Davy won last year’s event, with Cappagh GAA taking home the spoils.

Now, every ladies football, camogie and handball club in Limerick are being invited to submit their applications to be assigned a dog for the Con & Annie Kirby Trial Stakes which begin this Saturday, February 16th in Limerick.

The first 24 applicants will be each assigned a dog in one of the four heats to be run this Saturday. Two of these dogs will progress to the Kirby Memorial First Round, which will begin on Saturday, March 23rd.

CEO of the Irish Greyhound Board, Gerard Dollard, commented: “The Con & Annie Kirby is a wonderful highlight of the Irish greyhound racing calendar. The generous support of Noreen & JP McManus cannot be underestimated. The juvenile race acts as a stepping stone for Ireland’s rising greyhound stars and creates a strong market for young dogs, as well as continuing the strong greyhound racing tradition that has existed here in Limerick for many decades. The Kirby Memorial Stake creates a county full of winners – and Limerick has been used to winning plenty recently!”

Sponsored by Noreen and JP McManus in honour of her parents, Con & Annie Kirby, the competition has the biggest prize fund in Ireland after the Irish Greyhound Derby, with a total fund of €160,000.

The Kirby Memorial Stake will run for five consecutive Saturdays at Limerick Greyhound Stadium from Saturday, March 23rd, with the final taking place on Easter Saturday, April 20th.

The trap draw for the Kirby Trial Stakes will take place this Thursday, February 14th.