Curragh Racecourse officials believe a "curiosity factor" could result in a "jump in attendances" when the '17 racing season begins at HQ this weekend "but admission prices will remain the same despite temporary facilities being in place," according to Brian O'Connor of the IRISH TIMES. A €15 ($16.39) general admission on Saturday and Sunday, with €10 ($10.93) entry for senior citizens and U25s, is unchanged from '16 "even though the old stands have been demolished" as part of the €70M ($76.5M) redevelopment of Ireland's "most famous racecourse." The decision to keep racing has been criticized by a number of "high-profile industry professionals" and the Aga Khan -- one of half-a-dozen private investors who each put €5M toward the cost of the project in '15 -- favored closing the track while building work was "carried out." Curragh CEO Derek McGrath "defended the decision not to drop admission prices." He said, "We did look at it but we are investing significantly in what we would argue are very good facilities. In fact, you could argue they’re better than what was there before" (IRISH TIMES, 5/8).
