The remainder of the 2019-20 Irish National Hunt racing season has been cancelled, including the Fairyhouse and Punchestown Festivals.
The board of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) met today and decided that racing in this country would resume with a month-long flat season, which will more than likely take place behind closed doors, "with adherence to strict social distancing protocols as were successfully operated at ten race fixtures in March" before all large outdoor gatherings were cancelled in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus.
Racing and greyhound racing were the two sports that continued behind closed doors before Taoiseach Leo Varadkar addressed the nation on 24 March.