New Year’s Day Durrus Road Racing cancelled

WEST CORK, Ireland – For the second year running mother nature was the winner with the cancellation of the annual New Years Day Road trotting fixture in Durrus.

The Wild Atlantic Way which stretches from Donegal in the North West of Ireland down to Cork in the South has been battered for over a week by "Storm Frank" with large amounts of rainfall and gale force winds playing havoc.

Local committee members were still hopeful of running up to 9 AM on raceday but with almost two thirds of the "Boggy Road " course under water (up to four feet in places) were left with no option but to cancel the racing.

Another band of bad weather is expected.

Almost immediately promoters were in contact with the Irish Trotting And Harness Racing Federation (ITHRF) the governing body in the region to re arrange the fixture with Jan 10th mentioned as a possible date but this is yet to be confirmed.

At present Ballingurteen is the next fixture on Sunday Jan 17th.

So for another New Years Day we must retire to the solitude of the local licensed premises for some light refreshments.

by Tim Kelleher, for Harnesslink